Landlord charged with hate crimes after Muslim boy killed in Illinois

Joseph Czuba, aged 71, is facing charges of taking the life of Wadea Al-Fayoume and causing grievous harm to his mother in Plainfield, Illinois.

The motive behind the attack seems to be rooted in a troubling blend of religious discrimination and the longstanding strife between Hamas and Israel. Wadea and his mother were tenants under the accused, their landlord.

President Joe Biden has unequivocally condemned the shocking assault, expressing his deep distress. He stated, "This horrendous act of hatred has no place in the United States and contradicts our core principles: freedom from fear due to our beliefs, the way we worship, and our identities."

The violent incident involved the 32-year-old woman being attacked by her landlord, who wielded a military-style knife boasting a blade of seven inches (approximately 18 cm). In a desperate bid to seek help, she rushed to the bathroom to contact the authorities. Despite enduring over a dozen stab wounds, she is anticipated to recover.

Regrettably, her son, a six-year-old named Wadea Al-Fayoume, suffered over two dozen stab wounds during the attack and, tragically, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

When law enforcement reached the scene, situated approximately 40 miles (64 km) to the southwest of Chicago, they discovered Mr. Czuba outside the property with a facial laceration.

The victims, who were of Palestinian-American descent, were discovered in one of the rooms. Following medical treatment, Mr. Czuba was interrogated by detectives and later charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, hate crimes, and aggravated battery.

Although Mr. Czuba did not offer a statement, investigators managed to discern a potential motive. The Will County Sheriff's office reported, "Both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis."

The U.S. Justice Department has also initiated a federal hate crime investigation into this grievous incident.

At a press conference on Sunday, the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) revealed that the young boy's name was Wadea al-Fayoume, and his mother was identified as Hanaan Shahin.

Wadea was born in the United States, while his mother, originally hailing from Beitunia in the West Bank, arrived in the country twelve years ago.

CAIR-Chicago's executive director, Ahmed Rehab, painted a picture of Wadea, emphasizing his recent birthday celebration, his love for family and friends, as well as his passion for soccer and basketball. He lamented, "He paid the price for the atmosphere of hate and dehumanization that, quite frankly, I believe we are witnessing here in the United States."

The neighbors were understandably shocked by the brutality of the attack. One neighbor expressed their dismay, saying, "Regardless of the circumstances, you shouldn't take it out on someone who is innocent and full of life."

Others living nearby disclosed that the victims had been residing in the home for four years.

The backdrop to this tragic event is the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with more than 1,400 casualties in Israel during a cross-border assault by Hamas from the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Palestinian authorities report nearly 2,700 casualties due to Israeli bombings, with an estimated 1,000 individuals trapped under the rubble.