71-Year-Old Illinois Resident Charged in Fatal Hate Crime Against Muslim Child, Linked to Israeli-Hamas Conflict, Say Authorities

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Authorities arrested a 71-year-old man from suburban Chicago on Sunday, accusing him of a hate crime that resulted in the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old boy and the serious injury of a 32-year-old woman. Law enforcement alleges that the victims were specifically targeted because of their Islamic faith, as well as the perpetrator’s reaction to the ongoing military conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement indicating that their investigation revealed both victims were selected due to their Muslim background and the enduring strife between Israelis and Hamas in the Middle East.

Law enforcement officials discovered the two victims on late Saturday morning at a residence in an unincorporated section of Plainfield Township, approximately 40 miles (or 65 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.

An autopsy performed on Sunday revealed that the young boy, who was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital, had been stabbed 26 times using a large, military-grade knife. The adult female victim had sustained over a dozen stab wounds and was hospitalized as of Sunday, although she is expected to recover.

The alleged assailant was located on Saturday near the driveway of the residence, sitting upright on the ground, displaying a forehead laceration. As of Sunday, he was being held in custody and awaiting a court hearing. The charges against him include first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crimes, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Although the authorities have not publicly identified the victims, the Chicago branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has planned a news conference for Sunday with a family member. The victims have been identified as Wadea Al-Fayoume, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy, and his mother Hanaan Shahin. According to CAIR, the victims had resided on the ground floor of the house for two years and the accused individual was their landlord. Text messages from the injured mother to the father of the deceased child indicate that the suspect reportedly shouted, “You Muslims must die!” prior to the assault, as per CAIR-Chicago’s report.

The Muslim civil liberties organization described the incident as “our worst nightmare,” citing it as part of an alarming rise in hate-related communications and threats since the initiation of hostilities in the Middle East.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Hate Crime

More about Hate Crime

• Will County Sheriff’s Office Statement
• Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) News Conference
• Overview of Israeli-Hamas Conflict
• Hate Crime Statistics in the United States
• Illinois State Laws on Hate Crimes