[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]An Illinois man, Joseph Czuba, faces charges of hate crimes after fatally stabbing a 6-year-old Muslim boy and injuring his mother in an attack motivated by their religious beliefs and as a response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to officials and Muslim rights activists.
The young boy sustained 26 knife wounds from a military-style knife with a 7-inch serrated blade, as reported by the Will County Sheriff’s Office.
The 32-year-old woman also suffered multiple stab wounds but is expected to recover. This tragic incident occurred in Plainfield Township, located approximately 40 miles southwest of Chicago, on Saturday.
US President Joe Biden stated that the family of the young victim were Palestinian Muslims who came to the United States seeking refuge, peace, and the opportunity to live, learn, and pray in tranquility. He emphasized that such a hateful act has no place in America.
Jill and I were sickened to learn of the brutal murder of a child and the attempted murder of the child’s mother yesterday in Illinois. Our condolences and prayers are with the family.
This act of hate against a Palestinian Muslim family has no place in America.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 16, 2023
Joseph Czuba, aged 71, has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crime, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Will County Sheriff’s Office revealed that detectives determined that the victims were intentionally targeted due to their Muslim faith and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Czuba, currently in jail, has not made any statements to detectives, exercising his constitutional right to remain silent. The charges against him were established through interviews and evidence.
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Upon arriving at the scene, the police found Czuba outside the residence with an injury to his forehead. The victims were located in a bedroom, both with multiple stab wounds to their chest, torso, and upper extremities.
An autopsy revealed a military-style serrated knife with a seven-inch blade lodged in the boy’s abdomen.
Czuba is accused of assaulting the woman and making derogatory remarks like “you Muslims must die” during the attack, as reported by Ahmed Rehab, the head of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Chicago office. This information was gleaned from text messages the woman sent to the boy’s father while in the hospital.
The boy was identified by CAIR as Wadea Al-Fayoume, with the woman being his mother, Hanaan Shahin.
We are shocked and disturbed to learn that a landlord in Chicago expressing anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian views broke into a Muslim family's apartment and attacked them with a knife, injuring the mother and killing her 6-year-old son, Wadea Al-Fayoume. @cairchicago will hold a… pic.twitter.com/N0ILuevq4n
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) October 15, 2023
CAIR, in response to the incident, condemned the Islamophobic rhetoric and anti-Palestinian racism propagated by politicians, media outlets, and social media platforms.
FBI Director Christopher Wray, addressing the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference, urged vigilance in the current tense environment. He noted an increase in reported threats and emphasized the need to be watchful, especially for individuals who might be inspired by recent events to commit acts of violence.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
