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On Saturday, October 14, 2023, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, was killed and his mother, Hanaan Shahin, was wounded after their knife-wielding landlord, Joseph Czuba, stabbed his tenants in an apparent hate crime.
Police said that the 71-year-old Chicago-area landlord, who was arrested and charged with murder and hate crimes, targeted his tenants in response to the current Israeli-Hamas conflict that began after a Palestinian militant group launched a surprise attack on the Jewish country, killing 1,400 people.
In a news release, the Will County Sheriff’s Office said that on Saturday morning, Joseph Czuba knocked on his tenant's door and stabbed Hanaan Shahin before yelling, “You Muslims must die!”
Shahin, who tried to fight off the attacker, reportedly ran to the bathroom and called 911 before coming out to see that her son had been stabbed 26 times. Shortly after, the victims were transported to a hospital, where the boy later succumbed to his injuries. Police said that Hanaan Shahin was expected to recover from her wounds.
Joseph Czuba was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of a hate crime and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Hanaan Shahin's son Wadea Al-Fayoume had just celebrated his sixth birthday
In a news conference on Sunday, Ahmed Rehab, executive director of The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), who identified the victims as Palestinians, said that Wadea Al-Fayoume had celebrated his sixth birthday just before his death.
“He loved everybody, he loved his toys, he loved anything with a ball, basketball, soccer, he loved to color, he loved to swing around, he loved his parents, he loved his family and his friends, he loved life and he was looking forward to a long, healthy, prosperous life."
Rehab revealed that Hanaan Shahin had moved to the United States from a village in Westbank 12 years ago. Meanwhile, her husband moved to the country from the West Bank nine years ago. Their son Wadea Al-Fayoume was reportedly born in the United States.
In a news conference on Sunday, Yousef Hannon, the boy’s paternal uncle who emigrated to the U.S. in 1999 to work, implored people to stop spreading Islamophobic rhetoric.
“We are not animals, we are humans. We want people to see us as humans, to feel us as humans, to deal with us as humans, because this is what we are.”
Fundraiser for Hanaan Shahin and Wadea Al-Fayoume raises over $81,000
In a statement on Monday, Attorney General Merrick B., also condemned the violence against Palestinians in the United States, noting that the department was committed to protecting the rights of every citizen in the country.
“This incident cannot help but further raise the fears of Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian communities in our country with regard to hate-fueled violence. The Department of Justice is focused on protecting the safety and the civil rights of every person in this country. We will use every legal authority at our disposal to bring to justice those who perpetrate illegal acts of hate.”
As the family continue to grieve the loss, a fundraising initiative on Launchgood has raised over $81,000. The campaign said that all funds received would go towards paying for Wadea Wadea Al-Fayoume's funeral and Hanaan Shahin’s medical bills.
