An Indian Muslim man is in critical condition after he was allegedly stabbed around 15 times inside a shopping mall in the US state of Utah, in what investigators are treating as a suspected religion-motivated hate crime. Police say the accused allegedly admitted he targeted the victim because ‘he was Muslim’.

The victim, identified as Sohail, had been at the mall when a stranger approached him and started a conversation. According to investigators, the man first asked where Sohail was from and what religion he followed.

Sohail reportedly replied, "I'm from India... I'm Muslim."

Investigators say the suspect, identified as 48-year-old Peter Michael Larsen, then asked Sohail for a bottle of water. As Sohail turned to help him, Larsen allegedly pulled out a knife and repeatedly stabbed him before shoppers and mall employees rushed to stop the attack.

Witnesses managed to overpower the suspect and hold him until police officers arrived. Sohail was rushed to hospital with approximately 15 stab wounds and has since undergone multiple surgeries. He remains hospitalised in critical condition.

According to investigators, Larsen later made statements that point to a possible religious motive. Police allege he told detectives he attacked Sohail because he was Muslim and said he "intends to kill Muslims." Those alleged remarks have prompted authorities to investigate the stabbing as a possible hate crime alongside the attempted murder case.

Larsen has been booked into the Salt Lake County jail on suspicion of attempted murder and prohibited dangerous weapon conduct.

As Sohail fights for his life, friends say his family is now dealing with a growing financial crisis. Luna Nunez, who works at a nearby jewellery store, said Sohail is the sole breadwinner for his family and does not have health insurance.

"He's the only man that is working in his family. He has two babies and a wife, and they are not working right now," Nunez told local broadcaster KSL.

She has since launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover Sohail's medical expenses and support his family during his recovery.

The attack has left colleagues at the shopping centre shaken. Sohail's manager, Adnan Mohammed, described the stabbing as an act of hate, saying, "There's no space for hate."

Nunez also said several workers told her the suspect had allegedly been walking around the mall before the attack, asking employees and shoppers about their religion.

Investigators are examining those accounts as they continue to piece together the events leading up to the stabbing.