Wadea Al-Fayoume: Boy, 6, allegedly stabbed to death by pensioner in Chicago due to Israel-Hamas war

Wadea Al-Fayoume was stabbed 26 times with a large military-style knife in Plainfield, near Chicago on Saturday, police said.

His 32-year-old mum was also stabbed more than a dozen times – but is expected to survive.

Joseph Czuba, 72, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, hate crimes and aggravated battery, The Sun reports.

Police said Wadea and his mother were targeted “due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis”.

It’s understood Czuba was the victims’ landlord.

US president Joe Biden said: “Jill and I were shocked and sickened to learn of the brutal murder of a six-year-old child and the attempted murder of the child’s mother in their home.

“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.

“As Americans, we must come together and reject Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry and hatred.”

Cops said they received an emergency call from the woman who said she was being attacked by her landlord.

The woman said she “ran into the bathroom and continued to fight off her attacker”.

When police arrived, they found the woman and the young boy with “multiple stab wounds to their chest, torso, and upper extremities”.

They were both rushed to hospital where the boy tragically died.

“The knife used in this attack is a 12-inch (31cm) serrated military style knife that has a seven-inch blade,” the Will County Sheriff’s office said.

Czuba was found “sitting upright outside on the ground near the driveway of the residence” with a cut on his forehead, police said.

Cops have not released the names of the victims, but the Council on American-Islamic Relations named the boy as Wadea al-Fayoume, and his mum as Hanaan Shahin.

Citing text messages from the mum to the boy’s father, the suspect reportedly yelled, “You Muslims must die!” before stabbing the pair.

The organisation said Wadea was born in the US, while his mum – originally from Beitunia in the West Bank – came to the country 12 years ago.

It called the brutal crime “our worst nightmare”.

CAIR-Chicago executive director Ahmed Rehab said Wadea had only celebrated his birthday a few weeks ago.

Rehab said: “He loved his family, his friends. He loved soccer, he loved basketball.

“We warned about not recreating the same mistake we had in the post 9/11 environment.”

This story first appeared in The Sun and has been reproduced with permission.