Overview
- Several bystanders tackled and restrained the attacker after he approached a kiosk worker and stabbed him repeatedly, and the victim was taken to hospital in critical condition following multiple surgeries.
- Court booking documents identify the suspect as 48-year-old Peter Michael Larsen and say he told investigators he targeted the worker because he was Muslim and “intends to kill Muslims.”
- Larsen was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and prohibited dangerous‑weapon conduct after first receiving medical care for injuries sustained when he was subdued.
- Reporting links Larsen to a 2022 incident in which he pleaded guilty to assault on an officer and arson and received a 1–15 year sentence, and investigators say he poses a substantial danger if released.
- Community members have launched a GoFundMe for the victim’s family and civil‑rights groups condemned the attack as part of a broader rise in anti‑Muslim hostility while the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office reviews the case.