Federal Grand Jury Charges Utah Man with Hate Crime Stabbing of Muslim Shopper
A federal grand jury indicted Peter Larsen of Orem, Utah, for a hate-motivated stabbing of a Muslim man at West Valley City’s Valley Fair Mall.
U.S. attorneys announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against Peter Larsen, 48, of Orem, for a hate-crime stabbing that occurred in mid-July at the Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah. According to investigators, Larsen purchased a knife inside the mall, queried staff about their religious affiliation, and began stabbing a Muslim man after confirming his faith, inflicting numerous injuries, including a wound to the neck that required surgical treatment.
Bystanders intervened, subduing Larsen until law enforcement could take him into custody; he has been detained in state jail since his arrest on July 13. The indictment accuses him of willfully causing bodily injury to a victim because of actual or perceived religion. Federal officials highlighted the case as part of a broader pattern of rising Islamophobia in the United States.
Why it matters
The indictment underscores growing concerns about religion-based violence and the federal government’s willingness to pursue hate-crime charges.
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