Hyderabadi Stabbed In US For His Religion
Sohailuddin has undergone multiple surgeries and is in a critical condition. The victim stays in the US with his wife, Amreen Firdous, and has two children, aged five and three.
Hyderabad: Syed Sohailuddin, a 37-year-old man born in Hyderabad, was stabbed repeatedly by a 48-year-old American, Peter Michael Larsen, for his religious beliefs in West Valley City, Utah, United States.
According to local reports, the suspect asked Sohailuddin for a bottle of water. When the victim turned around, Larsen allegedly stabbed him unprovoked. The victim was attacked 16 times near the chest area, near the heart and on his hand, according to the family members.
According to the New York Times, Larsen did not attack until bystanders pinned the attacker down and seized his knife.
Sohailuddin has undergone multiple surgeries and is in a critical condition. The victim stays in the US with his wife, Amreen Firdous, and has two children, aged five and three.
Sohailuddin’s family members, who are from Tolichowki, urged the government of India to escalate the issue with US authorities and ensure Sohailuddin receives the best possible medical care.
The Indian Consulate General in San Francisco said it was in communication with US authorities and would continue to monitor the matter closely.
The attacker appears to have anger issues and was previously served a prison term of nearly three years. According to Fox 13, the attacker was imprisoned for threatening firefighters and police officers with a shotgun in July 2022.
Larsen threatened to shoot the police and firefighters when they tried to stop him from setting his yard and grass on fire. Later, he pleaded guilty and was released from jail on parole in January 2025.
In his reaction, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi condemned the attack and said people from minority communities are being targeted in trains and on roads.
Majlis Bachao Tahreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan visited Syed Sohailuddin’s family residence in Hyderabad and posted videos with Sohailuddin’s sister-in-law, urging intervention by Dr Jaishankar.
In the video, Sohailuddin’s sister-in-law said they learned about the attack on Tuesday night (India time). However, they were initially told the injury was minor.
After they saw the videos shared on social media, they learned that a man was repeatedly attacking Syed Sohailuddin with a knife. Sohailuddin’s sister-in-law said that Sohailuddin's wife had also fainted following the news, and there was no one to care for the couple and their kids.