Man charged in stabbing at West Valley Mall indicted for federal hate crime

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah man who is accused of targeting a Muslim man in a stabbing at a West Valley mall last month is now facing additional hate crime charges in federal court.

Peter Michael Larsen, 48, was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury and charged with a hate crime causing bodily injury to a victim because of their actual or perceived religion. Larsen's address is listed in Taylorsville on state court records, but the U.S. Attorney's Office of Utah says he is from Orem.

The charge stems from a July 13 attack at Valley Fair Mall, 3601 S. 2700 West, when a mall employee was allegedly targeted and stabbed more than a dozen times for being a Muslim.

"An investigation determined that the defendant harbored anti-Muslim views and went to the West Valley mall specifically for the purpose of attacking Muslims. The defendant purchased a knife from a store inside the mall and went around asking mall employees if they were Muslim. When the victim responded that he was, the defendant began stabbing him," the U.S. Attorney's Office of Utah said in a statement.

If convicted, Larsen faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Utah.

"This administration, my office, and our law enforcement partners have zero tolerance for hate‑fueled violence, particularly this heinous attempted murder. Anti‑Muslim violence is a crime, and it will be met with the full force of federal law to ensure justice for the victim and the broader Muslim community," U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah said.

Larsen also faces charges in 3rd District Court of attempted aggravated murder with potential hate crime penalty enhancements, a first-degree felony, and being a prohibited person in possession of a weapon, a third-degree felony.

Syed Sohail was working at a kiosk at the mall when he was approached by Larsen. Sohail told investigators that Larsen initially asked him for water, according to charging documents.

"Larsen then asked (Sohail) where he was from and (he) responded 'India.' Larsen asked (Sohail) if he was Muslim and (Sohail) confirmed he was," the charges state.

Larsen then stabbed Sohail about a dozen times in his neck, left arm, scalp, chest and other areas and didn't stop until a bystander knocked him out, according to the charges.

Witnesses say Larsen "was stabbing (Sohail) all over his body. (Sohail) was on his knees attempting to grab Larsen during the attack," according to the charges. Some witnesses then began throwing things at Larsen in an attempt to get him to stop.

A man who knows Sohail, who is also Muslim, was in the mall and "heard (him) yelling for God and for his mother," the charges state. The friend was cut by Larsen while trying to get the knife away from him. And while others attempted to restrain Larsen, he pointed the knife at the friend and said, "You're next," according to the charges.

After being punched at least three times and knocked out, Larsen "dropped to the ground unconscious and released the knife," which was described as a pocketknife "that had a brass knuckle handle ... with approximately a four-inch blade" and an American flag design on it, the charges state.

When questioned by investigators, Larsen said he chose Valley Fair Mall because he knew Muslims would be there, according to charging documents. He went to the movie theater at the mall and watched a movie while waiting for the shops to open. He claimed he purchased the knife after watching the movie.

Larsen says he had spoken with Sohail before and knew he was Muslim.

"Larsen stated that he has never killed anybody before and he was going to kill (Sohail). Larsen said his plan was to decapitate (him) and throw his head down the hallway as a sign that the country would not be overruled by Muslims. Larsen also stated he wanted to eat (Sohail's) heart to make it something very dramatic. Larsen stated he wanted to do something extreme that would cause people to rise up and take the country back. Larsen stated after the stabbing he planned to stand there and wait to be arrested. Larsen said if he could go from one Muslim to another in close proximity, he would have killed as many as possible. Larsen stated he wanted his actions to be a catalyst to get people motivated to revolt against what he called the Muslim infestation," the charging documents said.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said based on the totality of the evidence, the attack was charged as a hate crime, which can be used as an aggravating factor at sentencing if Larsen is convicted. Prosecutors are further seeking to have Larsen treated as a Habitual Violent Offender if convicted, which also carries penalty enhancements at sentencing.

A federal motion for detention states Larsen is a multi-state offender with several felony convictions and was on parole when he committed this alleged crime.

In 2022, Larsen was shot by Salt Lake City police officers because he pointed a shotgun at officers and threatened to shoot firefighters who had responded to a fire at his Salt Lake City residence. He survived and was convicted of assault on a police officer, a second-degree felony, and sentenced to one to 15 years at the Utah State Prison.

"I just did attempted murder. I've never done anything like that before, but I think the country's worth it and there needs to be something done," he told investigators, according to the charges.

Sohail was taken to a local hospital in critical condition following the attack. A GoFundMe* was started to help with medical expenses during his long recovery and has raised nearly $400,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited into the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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