Utah man who stabbed Muslim multiple times indicted for hate crime by federal grand jury

A federal grand jury has indicted Peter Larsen, 48, of Orem, Utah, on a hate crime charge for allegedly stabbing a Muslim man multiple times in July at the Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City. According to the Justice Department, Larsen is accused of "willfully causing bodily injury to a victim because of his actual or perceived religion." Police reported that Larsen told them he "intends to kill Muslims." The victim sustained numerous stab wounds, including to the neck, and required surgery. Prosecutors stated that Larsen purchased a knife at the mall, asked employees if they were Muslim, and attacked the victim after he identified himself as Muslim. Bystanders intervened to stop the assault. This incident occurs amid a reported rise in Islamophobia in the US.