# Utah Mall Attacker Stabs Indian Employee 15 Times After Learning He's Muslim, Admits Goal Was to Kill Muslims

> A man at Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah, asked an Indian employee named Sohail about his religion and stabbed him 15 times upon learning he was Muslim, later admitting to investigators that his goal was to kill Muslims.

**Type:** article · **Category:** America · **Published:** 2026-07-15 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/america/utah-ke-mola-men-dharma-puchhakara-bharatiya-karmachari-para-barasae-15-chaku-hamalavara-ne-kaha-makasada-muslimon-ko-marana-hai-7901 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Utah hate crime, Sohail stabbing, Valley Fair Mall, Peter Michael Larson, Indian Muslim attack, America hate crime

A hate crime out of Utah has left the Indian community shaken after a man walked into a shopping mall, asked an employee about his religion, and then stabbed him 15 times the moment he learned the man was Muslim. The victim, an Indian national named Sohail, worked at Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah. The incident took place in broad daylight inside a public shopping mall, a place where such violence would ordinarily be unthinkable, and it has renewed alarm about religiously motivated attacks in the United States. Investigators say the attacker deliberately targeted him because of his faith, and the accused has since admitted as much in police custody.

## A Routine Shift Turns Into a Nightmare
Sohail was going about his usual work at the mall when a 48 year old man named Peter Michael Larson walked in. Larson initially approached Sohail like an ordinary shopper making small talk. He asked Sohail where he was from. Sohail answered without hesitation that he was from India and that his name was Sohail. Larson then asked a direct question, whether Sohail was Muslim. The moment Sohail said yes, Larson pulled out a knife from his pocket and attacked him without a second's pause.

## An Eyewitness and a Local Imam Describe the Attack
Luna Nunez, who works at a nearby jewelry store, witnessed the entire attack unfold in front of her. She described it as sudden and brutal. Shuaib ud Din, an imam at the Utah Islamic Center, said Larson had asked Sohail for a bottle of water to drink just before the assault. The instant Sohail turned around to fetch the water, Larson seized the opportunity, pulled the knife from his pocket, and lunged at him. The imam's account adds a telling detail, that the request for water functioned as a pretext, buying Larson the brief window he needed to draw his knife while Sohail's attention was elsewhere. The sequence suggests the attacker had been looking for the right moment to strike rather than acting in a sudden fit of rage.

## Stabbed 15 Times, Saved by Bystanders and Mall Staff
Larson was so consumed by hatred that he stabbed Sohail 15 times in quick succession. Nunez said she watched him repeatedly plunge the knife into Sohail and feared he would not survive. In an attempt to stop the attack, she grabbed whatever she could find, including shoes and a chair, and hurled them at Larson. Before police could arrive at the scene, several brave customers and employees at the mall stepped in without regard for their own safety and tackled Larson from behind. They wrestled him to the ground and held him down until police arrived. Had bystanders not intervened, saving Sohail's life would have been nearly impossible.

## Sohail Remains in Critical Condition After Multiple Surgeries
Sohail was rushed to the hospital in extremely critical condition, where doctors performed multiple surgeries on him. He is currently fighting for his life, and his condition remains serious.

## Accused Admits During Questioning: My Goal Is to Kill Muslims
Police arrested Peter Michael Larson and booked him into Salt Lake County Jail. He faces serious charges, including attempted murder and possession of a restricted dangerous weapon. These two charges, attempted murder and possession of a restricted dangerous weapon, reflect both the near fatal nature of the assault and the fact that Larson was carrying a weapon he was not permitted to have. Court documents reveal disturbing details about the case. During police questioning, Larson himself admitted that he had deliberately targeted Sohail because he was Muslim. He told investigators in a chillingly calm manner that his goal was to kill Muslims.

## Investigators Point to a Prior Plan for Mass Violence
Investigating officers say Larson poses a serious threat to the public because of his violent ideology and a previously planned conspiracy to carry out mass killings. Witnesses also revealed that before the attack, Larson had been wandering around the mall asking other people about their religion as well. This indicates Sohail was not the only person he questioned, and that Larson was moving through the mall specifically searching for people he identified as Muslim.

## What this means for you
- **For Indians living abroad:** This attack is a stark reminder for the Indian community in the US, especially Muslims, that hate crimes can happen in everyday public settings, underlining the need for vigilance and community support.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Where did this attack take place?
The attack happened at Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah.

### 2. Who was the victim?
The victim was Sohail, an Indian employee who worked at the mall.

### 3. Who is the attacker and how old is he?
The attacker is 48-year-old Peter Michael Larson.

### 4. How many times was Sohail stabbed?
He was stabbed 15 times in quick succession.

### 5. How did the attack begin?
Larson first asked Sohail where he was from and his name, then asked if he was Muslim, and stabbed him the moment Sohail said yes.

### 6. How was Sohail's life saved?
Bystanders, including mall customers and employees, tackled and held down Larson before police arrived.

### 7. What is Sohail's current condition?
He has undergone multiple surgeries and remains in the hospital fighting for his life in serious condition.

### 8. What charges does the accused face?
Larson faces charges of attempted murder and possession of a restricted dangerous weapon, and is being held at Salt Lake County Jail.

### 9. What did the accused admit during questioning?
He admitted he deliberately targeted Sohail because he was Muslim, telling investigators his goal was to kill Muslims.

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