Multiple charges, including two counts of aggravated attempted murder, were filed Friday against the man accused of stabbing a West Valley City mall employee over his religion earlier this week.
Along with the first-degree felony attempted murder charges, Peter Michael Larsen was also charged with one count of conduct with a dangerous weapon.
Larsen was charged with a hate crime, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said, which be taken into account at sentencing should Larsen be convicted.
The charges claim Larsen stabbed Syed Sohail Uddin multiple times at a Valley Fair Mall kiosk on Monday, and did so because Uddin was Muslim. Uddin remains hospitalized after undergoing surgery for numerous injuries suffered during the attack.
The charges against Larsen say he had planned to go to the mall “to make an exhibition of Muslims and hopefully be a catalyst so people would rid the country of Muslims.” Larsen purchased the knife allegedly used in the stabbing on the day of the attack..
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