Illinois Man, 71, Stabs Housing Tenant, 6-Year-Old Palestinian Boy to Death, Mother Injured

U.S. President Joe Biden said the victims were Palestinians who came to America to seek refuge.

Joseph M. Czuba. Will County Sheriff’s Office via AP

A man in Illinois is accused of stabbing a 6-year-old boy and injuring his mother in a targeted attack believed to be a hate crime motivated by the events unfolding in the Israel–Hamas war, authorities said on Oct. 16.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office stated that the incident involved a landlord and tenants and occurred on Oct. 14 in the Chicago suburb of Plainfield, Illinois. The suspect has been identified as 71-year-old Joseph Czuba.

Mr. Czuba allegedly stabbed the boy 26 times using a 12-inch serrated military-style knife with a seven-inch blade. The boy’s mother, 32, was also stabbed “over a dozen” times, according to authorities.

Both victims were taken to the hospital, but the boy succumbed to his injuries. The mother is recovering from her wounds and is expected to survive.

Mr. Czuba didn’t make any statements to detectives, but authorities said they gathered enough information through interviews and evidence to charge him with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of committing a hate crime, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

“Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis,” the Will County Sheriff’s Office stated on Facebook.

When police arrived at the scene, they found Mr. Czuba sitting upright outside on the ground near the driveway of the house. He had a laceration on his forehead. The victims were found in the bedroom.

‘Horrific Act of Hate’

President Joe Biden said he was shocked by the incident, noting that the victims were Palestinians who came to the United States “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,” President Biden said in a statement.

“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 Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to call on all politicians, media outlets, and social media platforms to stop spreading “Islamophobic rhetoric and anti-Palestinian racism.”

“We are shocked and disturbed to learn that a landlord in Chicago expressing anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian views broke into a Muslim family’s apartment and attacked them with a knife, injuring the mother and her 6-year-old son, Wadea Al-Fayoume,” CAIR stated.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has warned that the war in the Middle East is creating a “heightened environment” for terrorist attacks in the United States and urged people to stay vigilant.

“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,” he told reporters on Oct. 14.

Mr. Wray didn’t provide details of any alleged threats, nor did he specify whether his department is taking or has taken any action against them.

But he did warn against antisemitism in his comments, without mention of the discrimination risks facing Muslims by people who conflate all Muslims with Islamist-motivated terrorism.

“Whether that be from foreign terrorist organizations or those inspired by them or domestic violent extremists motivated by their own racial animus, the targeting of a community because of their faith is completely unacceptable,” Mr. Wray said.

“We remain committed to continue confronting those threats—both here in the United States and overseas.”

The Israeli government earlier advised its citizens living overseas to not get involved in local protests or demonstrations and urged them to check with local security forces regarding possible protests and disturbances in their area.

“It is reasonable to assume that there will be protest events in various countries that are liable to turn violent,” the Israeli government said in a statement on Oct. 12.

Bill Pan contributed to this report.