A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted Peter Larsen on a hate crime charge for allegedly stabbing a Muslim worker inside a West Valley City mall because of his religion. Forty-eight-year-old Larsen, of Orem, Utah had been charged with two counts of attempted aggravated murder and one count of conduct with a dangerous weapon. He has been detained since his arrest on July 13 and remains in state custody.
Senior federal officials condemned the assault in statements that accompanied the indictment.
“This administration prioritizes protecting the civil rights of all Americans, and we will not tolerate violence motivated by religious hatred,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a press release.
U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah echoed this commitment in her statement. “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.”
According to charging documents, Larsen, who allegedly harbored anti-Muslim views, traveled to the Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City specifically to target Muslims. He purchased a knife from a store inside the shopping center — a blade with brass knuckles attached and an American flag design, and then began approaching employees asking whether they were Muslim, according to state charging documents.
When Syed Sohail Uddin, a 37-year-old man from India who was working at one of the mall kiosks, confirmed that he was Muslim, Larsen allegedly began stabbing him repeatedly, inflicting wounds to the man’s neck, chest, scalp and hands.
Bystanders intervened, throwing objects and physically restraining Larsen until officers arrived. Utah’s District Attorney Sim Gill earlier called the strangers “civilian heroes,” saying, “If not for their intervention, it could have been a very different scenario.”
State charging documents say that Larsen planned the attack the night before, telling police he intended to “make an exhibition of Muslims” and serve as a “catalyst so people would rid the country of Muslims.” He chose the mall because he knew Muslims worked there, he told police.
Larsen has been convicted of violent felonies at least twice before. At a press conference on July 17, Gill described Larsen as a “habitual offender” who poses “a substantial danger to any other individual or community.”
Uddin has undergone hand surgery and faces at least six months of recovery.
Larsen’s initial appearance on the federal hate crime charge is scheduled for Aug. 13 at 3 p.m. before a U.S. magistrate judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
“We are deeply mindful of the impact this attack has had on the victim and their family. No one should be targeted with violence because of their religion or faith,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office in a press release.
“Hate-fueled violence harms more than one individual; it sends fear throughout an entire community. The FBI will work closely with our partners to support the victim and ensure this case is thoroughly investigated and ensure accountability.”