West Valley City: Utah Stabbing investigators arrested a 48-year-old man after police said he admitted targeting a Muslim man because of his religion during an attack at a shopping mall.

According to court records, the incident occurred on Monday inside Valley Fair Mall, where the suspect allegedly stabbed a Muslim kiosk worker multiple times.

Police identified the suspect as Peter Michael Larsen. Authorities booked him into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and prohibited dangerous weapon conduct.

Investigators said Larsen told officers he intended to kill Muslims and described him as a significant danger to the public because of his alleged violent ideology and references to pre-planned mass casualty attacks.

Officers found the victim with multiple stab wounds and severe bleeding. Bystanders restrained the suspect until police arrived at the scene.

According to the police affidavit, Larsen approached the victim, asked his name and religion, and requested a bottle of water. Imam Shuaib Din, who leads the Utah Islamic Centre and has spoken with the victim’s family, said the suspect attacked the man as he turned to retrieve the water.

The victim remained in critical condition in hospital after the attack. A fundraising campaign organised by a friend said the victim suffered 15 stab wounds and required multiple surgeries.

The suspect also received medical treatment for injuries he sustained after bystanders subdued him before police took him into custody.

Muslim civil rights organisations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), condemned the attack and called for justice.

Rights groups in the United States have repeatedly warned about rising Islamophobia in recent years, citing anti-Muslim hate crimes linked to extremist ideologies, anti-immigration sentiment and tensions following the war in Gaza.