A man in Utah was indicted on a federal hate crime charge after he rode a scooter to a mall, bought a knife and repeatedly stabbed a Muslim man selling wares at a kiosk, the authorities said on Wednesday.
Federal prosecutors in Salt Lake City said Peter Larsen, 48, was indicted in connection with a stabbing on July 13 at the mall, in West Valley City. The victim was stabbed about a dozen times, on his head, chest and arms, causing internal bleeding, the authorities said, and a man who tried to intervene was also stabbed.
Mr. Larsen also faced state charges, including two counts of attempted aggravated murder and one count of having a dangerous weapon, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office. It was not immediately clear what would happen with the state charges as the federal case proceeded.
“An alleged unprovoked attack on anyone in our community is unacceptable, but an attack allegedly motivated because of the victim’s religion is alarming,” the Salt Lake County district attorney, Sim Gill, said in a statement announcing the state charges.
Mr. Gill did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was not clear whether Mr. Larsen had a lawyer. Mr. Larsen faces life in prison on the federal count, according to U.S. prosecutors.
The attack began when Mr. Larsen approached the victim and asked for water, according to a charging document filed by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
Mr. Larsen asked the victim if he was Muslim, and after hearing that he was, Mr. Larsen said, “Everything is like Jesus Christ,” prosecutors said. He then began stabbing the man with a knife he had bought earlier that day, they said.
Several witnesses rushed toward Mr. Larsen and tried to subdue him. One person punched Mr. Larsen repeatedly, knocking him out, prosecutors said.
Another witness said he heard the victim calling for God and his mother.
Mr. Larsen told the authorities that he had planned to arrive at the mall and make an “exhibition of Muslims and hopefully be a catalyst so people would rid the country of Muslims,” prosecutors said.
It is unclear when Mr. Larsen will return to federal court. A request for comment left for the United States Attorney’s Office in Utah was not immediately returned.
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