- Peter Michael Larsen, 48, was arrested for allegedly stabbing a Valley Fair Mall employee.
- The suspect claims he targeted the victim due to his Muslim faith, police reported.
- The victim is in critical condition; Larsen was previously convicted of assault.
WEST VALLEY CITY — A 48-year-old man arrested for allegedly stabbing another man multiple times at Valley Fair Mall on Monday claims he targeted the victim because of his faith, according to police.
Peter Michael Larsen was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of attempted murder and being a restricted person in possession of a weapon.
According to a police booking affidavit, Larsen "stated he had targeted the victim with intent to kill him because of his religion (Muslim)."
The attack happened about 2:30 p.m. Monday at Valley Fair Mall, 3601 S. 2700 West. The victim, a man, was working at a kiosk at the mall, according to West Valley police. Additional information about the victim was not immediately available.
Larsen approached the man and began talking to him before pulling out a knife and repeatedly stabbing him, police stated. The victim was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Larsen was also taken to a local hospital to be checked out "due to being punched in the head from bystanders trying to get the knife out of his hand," the affidavit states.
When questioned by detectives, Larsen stated that "he believes he is a catalyst and he intends to kill Muslims. (Larsen) constitutes a substantial danger to the public if released based on his violent actions today, ideologies and pre-planned mass casualty events," police wrote in their affidavit.
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 1-to-15 years at the Utah State Prison.
Larsen was also convicted in a second, separate case in 2022 of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, for pulling a gun on a man working security at a South Salt Lake gentleman's club after Larsen was kicked out, according to court records.
Larsen was last paroled from the prison in January of 2025, according to the Board of Pardon's website.
Contributing: Devin Oldroyd, KSL
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