Why the DOJ launched a hate crime investigation into the 'abhorrent killing' of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy
Police say Wadea Al-Fayoume and his mother were attacked by their landlord because they were Muslim and he was angry about the Israel-Hamas war.
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The Justice Department has launched a federal hate crime investigation into the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in what law enforcement officials believe was a targeted attack against the Muslim child and his mother due to the Israel-Hamas war.
Israel-Hamas war live updates: No ceasefire for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza
What happened, exactly?
The incident occurred in Plainfield Township, Ill., on Saturday morning when police responded to the report of a stabbing involving a landlord and a renter at a home roughly 40 miles southwest of Chicago. When officers arrived, they found the suspect, 71-year-old Joseph M. Czuba of Plainfield, “sitting upright outside on the ground near the driveway of the residence,” the sheriff's office said.
According to police, the boy, identified as Wadea Al-Fayoume, was stabbed 26 times with a 12-inch serrated knife. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition and later died.
“He was a lovely boy who loved his family, his friends. He loved soccer, basketball,” Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Chicago, said during a news conference Sunday. “And he paid the price for the atmosphere of hate.”
His 32-year-old mother, Hanaan Shahin, was stabbed more than a dozen times. She was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive.
The knife was removed from the young boy’s abdomen by the forensic pathologist conducting the autopsy the next day.
Czuba was taken into custody and treated for a laceration to the forehead. According to police, he “did not make any statements to detectives regarding his involvement” in the attack, but investigators were able to determine that both victims were “targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis.”
According to prosecutors, the boy’s mother told investigators that she rents two rooms on the first floor of the Plainfield home, while Czuba and his wife live on the second floor. “He was angry at her for what was going on in Jerusalem,” Michael Fitzgerald, the assistant state’s attorney, said in a Monday court filing. “She responded to him, ‘Let's pray for peace.’ ... Czuba then attacked her with a knife.”
He was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and two counts of a hate crime. Czuba was transported to the Will County Adult Detention Facility, where he is awaiting an initial court appearance.
How have Biden and other officials responded?
President Biden condemned the boy’s killing in a statement Sunday.
“Jill and I were shocked and sickened to learn of the brutal murder of a 6-year-old child and the attempted murder of the child’s mother in their home yesterday in Illinois,” Biden said. “The child’s Palestinian Muslim family came to America seeking what we all seek — a refuge to live, learn and pray in peace.
“This horrific act of hate has no place in America, and stands against our fundamental values: freedom from fear for how we pray, what we believe and who we are,” he continued. “As Americans, we must come together and reject Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry and hatred. I have said repeatedly that I will not be silent in the face of hate. We must be unequivocal. There is no place in America for hate against anyone.”
The president added: “We join everyone here at the White House in sending our condolences and prayers to the family, including for the mother’s recovery, and to the broader Palestinian, Arab and Muslim American communities.”
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• AP: Muslim woman stabbed in Illinois, son killed after she urged landlord to 'pray for peace'
• ABC News: Fatal Illinois stabbing of 6-year-old Palestinian boy prompts feds to warn of 'lone wolf' attacks
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker also issued a statement condemning the attack.
“To take a 6-year-old child’s life in the name of bigotry is nothing short of evil,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Every single Illinoisan — including our Muslim, Jewish and Palestinian neighbors — deserves to live free from the threat of such evil. Today, M.K. and I join our Muslim and Palestinian brothers and sisters in mourning this tragic loss and praying for the recovery of Wadea’s mother.”
Pritzger, who is Jewish, offered a common Jewish expression of mourning, adding: “May Wadea Al-Fayoume’s memory be a blessing.”
What was the DOJ’s response?
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Monday that the Justice Department had opened a federal hate crimes investigation into what he called an “abhorrent killing.”
“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,” Garland said in a statement. “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.”
“This incident cannot help but further raise the fears of Muslim, Arab and Palestinian communities in our country with regard to hate-fueled violence,” Garland added. “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. No one in the United States of America should have to live in fear of violence because of how they worship or where they or their family come from.”
An increase in threats
The attack came as the FBI is tracking increased numbers of threats against both Jewish and Muslim Americans in the wake of the Hamas terror attack in Israel and Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
Speaking before an annual gathering of the International Association of Chiefs of Police on Sunday, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that the war in the Middle East could inspire more violence in the United States.
Wray said that FBI officials have been reaching out to faith leaders to discuss potential threats as law enforcement agencies around the country have stepped up security around Jewish and Muslim religious facilities.
“In this heightened environment, there’s no question we're seeing an increase in reported threats, and we have to be on the lookout, especially for lone actors who may take inspiration from recent events to commit violence of their own,” Wray said. “And I’d encourage you to stay vigilant, because as the first line of defense in protecting our communities, you're often the first to see the signs that someone may be mobilizing to violence.”
