Man Charged With Attempted Murder of Muslim Mall Worker in Utah in Alleged Religious Hate Crime

Utah — Al Enteshar Al Arabi

Prosecutors in Salt Lake County, Utah, have filed charges against a 48-year-old man following a violent attack on a Muslim worker inside a shopping mall. Authorities said the evidence supports treating the incident as a religiously motivated hate crime.

According to court documents, the attack occurred on the afternoon of Monday, July 13, 2026, inside Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, near Salt Lake City. The defendant, Peter Michael Larsen, allegedly approached Syed Sohail Uddin while he was working at a kiosk inside the mall.

The charging documents state that Larsen asked the victim for water and then questioned him about his country of origin and religion. After Uddin told him that he was from India and was Muslim, Larsen allegedly began stabbing him repeatedly in the neck, chest, head, arm, and other parts of his body.

Several shoppers intervened to help the victim. Some threw objects at the attacker in an effort to force him to stop, while others managed to bring him to the ground and remove the knife from his hand before police arrived. Another man was also injured while attempting to assist the victim and disarm the attacker.

According to the charging documents, Larsen allegedly told investigators that he had selected the shopping mall because he believed Muslims would be there. He also allegedly said that he intended to kill the victim and target other Muslims. Authorities further attributed statements to him indicating that his goal was to encourage the removal of Muslims from the United States. These claims remain allegations by prosecutors and will be examined in court.

Prosecutors charged Larsen with two counts of aggravated attempted murder, along with one count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person. The attempted murder charges include proposed hate-crime sentencing enhancements if he is convicted. Prosecutors have also asked that he be treated as a habitual violent offender because of his previous criminal record.

Uddin was transported to the hospital in critical condition and underwent emergency surgery. People close to him said doctors repaired six tendons and two veins in his hand. His recovery could take approximately six months, followed by several additional months of physical therapy. The victim later appeared in a video from his hospital bed, thanking those who helped and supported him.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council, MPAC, condemned the attack. MPAC President Salam Al-Marayati said the incident highlights the dangers of anti-Muslim rhetoric and called on public officials and the media to condemn hate crimes against Muslims with the same seriousness applied to attacks against members of other religious and social communities. The organization also praised the bravery of the shoppers who intervened and stopped the attacker.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR, urged political and community leaders to reject anti-Muslim hate speech, warning that continued inflammatory rhetoric could expose more innocent people to violence.

The defendant remains in custody without bail. All charges against him are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law