Murder of Wadea al-Fayoume
| Murder of Wadea al-Fayoume | |
|---|---|
| Part of the violent incidents in reaction to the Gaza war | |
al-Fayoume in an undated photo | |
| Location | Plainfield, Illinois, United States |
| Date | October 14, 2023 c. 11:30 a.m. (CDT) |
Attack type | Child murder, stabbing, strangulation, hate crime |
| Weapon | Military knife |
| Deaths | Wadea al-Fayoume |
| Injured | Hanaan Shahin |
| Perpetrator | Joseph Czuba |
| Motive | Anti-Palestinianism Islamophobia Christian Zionism |
| Verdict | Guilty on all counts |
| Convictions | |
| Sentence | 53 years in prison |
On October 14, 2023, Wadea al-Fayoume (Arabic: وديع الفيوم, romanized: Wadīʿa al-Fayyūm), a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy, was murdered when he was stabbed 26 times in his home in Plainfield Township, Illinois, by 71-year-old Joseph Czuba. His mother, Hanaan Shahin, was also stabbed and strangled, leaving her critically injured. The murder was a hate crime motivated by Islamophobia and anti-Palestinianism, and an extremist reaction to the contemporaneous Gaza war.
The murder led to several statements and condemnations from government officials and organizations. A fundraiser was organized to give Shahin safe housing, covering fees for the funeral and hospitalization, and establishing a charity in al-Fayoume's name. A vigil was held for him shortly after his death.
Czuba, who was Shahin's landlord, was arrested and charged with five counts. His trial began on February 24, 2025, and on February 28 he was convicted of all charges, including murder and hate crimes. On May 2, 2025, he was sentenced to 53 years in prison.