Authorities say a 71-year-old Illinois man has been charged with a hate crime, accused of fatally stabbing a young boy and seriously wounded a woman because of their Islamic faith and the Israel-Hamas war
Ahmed Rehab, left, executive director of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, embraces Odey Al-Fayoume, father of Wadea Al-Fayoume, 6, at a news conference at the Muslim Community Center on Chicago's Northwest Side, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023.
“Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis,” the sheriff's statement said. Joseph M. Czuba of Plainfield was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crimes and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to the sheriff's office. He was in custody Sunday and awaiting a court appearance.
The Muslim civil liberties organization called the crime “our worst nightmare” and part of a disturbing spike in hate calls and emails since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. The group cited text messages exchanged among family members that showed the attacker had made disparaging remarks about Muslims.
“To take a six-year-old child’s life in the name of bigotry is nothing short of evil," Pritzker said."Wadea should be heading to school in the morning. Instead, his parents will wake up without their son. This wasn’t just a murder — it was a hate crime. And every single Illinoisan — including our Muslim, Jewish, and Palestinian neighbors — deserves to live free from the threat of such evil.
A senior FBI official who spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the Bureau said the majority of the threats that the FBI has responded to were not judged to be credible, adding that the FBI takes them all seriously nonetheless.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Illinois man killed Muslim boy, 6, in hate crime motivated by Israeli-Hamas war, police sayPolice charged a 71-year-old suburban Chicago man Sunday with a hate crime for fatally stabbing a 6-year-old boy and seriously wounding a 32-year-old woman
Read more »
Illinois man killed Muslim boy, 6, in hate crime motivated by Israeli-Hamas war, police sayPolice charged a 71-year-old suburban Chicago man Sunday with a hate crime for fatally stabbing a 6-year-old boy and seriously wounding a 32-year-old woman. In a statement posted to social media the Will County Sheriff’s Office says he singled out both victims because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Read more »
Illinois man killed Muslim boy, 6, in hate crime motivated by Israeli-Hamas war, police sayPolice charged a 71-year-old suburban Chicago man Sunday with a hate crime for fatally stabbing a 6-year-old boy and seriously wounding a 32-year-old woman
Read more »
Illinois man killed Muslim boy, 6, in hate crime motivated by Israeli-Hamas war, police sayPolice said one suspect is in custody. All three victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Read more »
Chicago man kills Muslim boy, injures woman over Israeli-Hamas warThe 6-year-old was fatally stabbed multiple times. The woman, who had over a dozen stab wounds, is expected to recover.
Read more »
Slaying of 6-year-old Muslim in Illinois connected to Israel-Hamas warThe Will County Sheriff's Office said the boy and his mother, who was injured, were targeted due to their religion.
Read more »