Killing of Muslim Boy Investigated as a Hate Crime

Attorney General Merrick Garland is opening a hate crimes investigation into the killing of a 6-year-old Muslim boy in Illinois. Police say the killing was motivated by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, The Hill reported.

Authorities say Wadea Al-Fayoume was stabbed 26 times by Joseph M. Czuba, 71, who also stabbed the boy's mother, Hanaan Shahin, a dozen times. She is now hospitalized and is expected to survive, police said.

"I am heartbroken by the abhorrent killing of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a 6-year-old child who died after being stabbed 26 times with a military-style knife. On behalf of the entire Justice Department, I want to express my deepest condolences to his family and his community as they grieve his loss," Garland said.

Czuba, who was the landlord of the residence, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of a hate crimes, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, The Hill reported.

The sheriff's office said investigators determined the child and his mother were "targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis."

President Joe Biden condemned the act of violence in a statement Sunday, saying he and the first lady were "shocked and sickened" by news of the attack on the Muslim boy and his mother, The Hill reported.

• Police: Man Killed Muslim Boy, 6, in Hate Crime
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