Man sentenced to 53 years in hate crime murder of 6-year-old Palestinian boy

Summary

Sentenced for deadly hate crimes

Joseph Czuba, 73, was sentenced to 53 years in prison for the 2023 hate crime murder of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi.

Boy stabbed 26 times

Czuba stabbed the boy 26 times and seriously injured his mother, Hanan Shaheen, during the attack.

Attack followed Israel-Hamas War

Prosecutors said he targeted the Muslim family days after the Hamas-Israel war began.

Joseph Czuba was sentenced to 53 years for fatally stabbing a 6-year-old Palestinian boy in a 2023 anti-Muslim hate crime. — Image credit: Chicago Tribune/Contributor via Getty Images

Summary

Sentenced for deadly hate crimes

Joseph Czuba, 73, was sentenced to 53 years in prison for the 2023 hate crime murder of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi.

Boy stabbed 26 times

Czuba stabbed the boy 26 times and seriously injured his mother, Hanan Shaheen, during the attack.

Attack followed Israel-Hamas War

Prosecutors said he targeted the Muslim family days after the Hamas-Israel war began.

Full story

A 73-year-old Illinois man was sentenced to more than 50 years in prison for the 2023 hate crime murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian boy. In February, a jury found Joseph Czuba guilty of murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery and hate crime charges.

Czuba was convicted of stabbing 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi 26 times and stabbing the boy’s mother, Hanan Shaheen, more than a dozen times. The mother was seriously wounded in the attack and survived.

Prosecutors said Czuba was the landlord of the boy and his mother and that he targeted them because they are Muslim.

Mother’s testimony details attack

Unbiased. Straight Facts.^TM

In 2024, 8,658 anti-Muslim or anti-Arab complaints were reported by CAIR. This was a 7.6% increase from the year before.

During the trial, Shaheen testified that while Czuba was stabbing her, he said, “You, as a Muslim, must die,” The Associated Press reported.

She got away, barricaded herself in the bathroom and called the police. That’s when she started hearing her son screaming.

Prosecutors played the 911 call for the jury. In it, Shaheen was screaming to the dispatcher, “The landlord is killing me and my baby! He’s killing my baby in another room!” according to the AP.

Attack followed outbreak of Israel-Hamas war

The attack occurred in October 2023, just days after Hamas attacked Israel, which ignited the Israel-Hamas war.

Authorities said Czuba had rented out rooms to the Muslim family for nearly two years without any issues.

Behavior shift noted by wife

Czuba’s wife told the court that in the days after the Hamas attack, her husband became withdrawn and said he wanted the family out immediately, The New York Times reported. She suggested they give the family a 30-day notice.

Sentencing and legal motions

On Friday, May 2, a judge sentenced Czuba to 53 years behind bars after denying a motion from the defense team to overturn the jury’s conviction.

Czuba’s defense team also filed a motion to reconsider his sentencing, with a hearing scheduled for May 7, WLS reports.

Illinois law requires Czuba to serve the entirety of his murder sentence.

Zachary Hill (Video Editor) contributed to this report.

A 73-YEAR-OLD ILLINOIS MAN HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 50 YEARS IN PRISON FOR THE 2023 HATE CRIME MURDER OF A 6-YEAR-OLD PALESTINIAN BOY.

IN FEBRUARY, A JURY FOUND JOSEPH CZUBA GUILTY OF MURDER, ATTEMPTED MURDER, AND AGGRAVATED BATTERY, AND HATE CRIME CHARGES.

CZUBA WAS CONVICTED OF STABBING 6-YEAR-OLD WADEE ALFAYOUMI 26 TIMES AND STABBING THE YOUNG BOY’S MOTHER HANAN SHAHEEN MORE THAN A DOZEN TIMES. THE MOTHER WAS SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN THE ATTACK AND SURVIVED.

PROSECUTORS SAID CZUBA WAS THE LANDLORD OF THE BOY AND HIS MOTHER AND THAT CZUBA TARGETED THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE MUSLIM.

DURING THE TRIAL, THE BOY’S MOTHER TESTIFIED TELLING THE COURT THAT WHILE CZUBA WAS STABBING HER HE TOLD HER “YOU, AS A MUSLIM, MUST DIE,” THE AP REPORTED.

SHE GOT AWAY AND BARRICADED HERSELF IN THE BATHROOM AND CALLED POLICE. THAT’S WHEN SHE STARTED HEARING HER SON SCREAMING.

PROSECUTORS PLAYED THE 911 CALL FOR THE JURY.

IN IT, SHAHEEN WAS SCREAMING TO THE DISPATCHER “THE LANDLORD IS KILLING ME AND MY BABY! HE’S KILLING MY BABY IN ANOTHER ROOM!” ACCORDING TO THE AP.

THE ATTACK HAPPENED IN OCTOBER 2023 – JUST DAYS AFTER HAMAS’ ATTACK ON ISRAEL WHICH IGNITED THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR.

AUTHORITIES SAID CZUBA HAD RENTED OUT ROOMS TO THE MUSLIM FAMILY FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS WITHOUT ANY ISSUES.

CZUBA’S WIFE TOLD THE COURT, THAT IN THE DAYS AFTER THE HAMAS ATTACK, THAT HER HUSBAND BECAME WITHDRAWN AND SAID HE WANTED THE FAMILY OUT IMMEDIATELY, THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTS. SHE SUGGESTED THEY GIVE THE FAMILY A 30-DAY NOTICE.

ON FRIDAY, A JUDGE SENTENCED CZUBA TO 53 YEARS BEHIND BARS AFTER DENYING A MOTION FROM THE DEFENSE TEAM TO OVERTURN THE JURY’S CONVICTION.

CZUBA’S DEFENSE TEAM ALSO FILED A MOTION TO RE-CONSIDER HIS SENTENCING WITH A HEARING SCHEDULED FOR MAY 7TH, WLS REPORTS.

FOR SAN, I’M LK.

Why this story matters

The case highlights the serious consequences of hate-fueled violence in the United States and underscores increasing concerns about Islamophobia and the risks of rhetoric escalating to deadly actions.

Hate crimes

The attack was prosecuted and sentenced as a hate crime, bringing attention to the persistence of bias-motivated violence and its effects on communities.

Islamophobia and rising tensions

The story reflects increased Islamophobic sentiment and social tensions following global political events, particularly the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Media and rhetoric influence

References to the assailant's reported exposure to inflammatory media and rhetoric raise questions about the influence of public discourse on individual actions and societal safety.

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Community reaction

Community responses included large gatherings for the victim's funeral and widespread vigils. Local organizations, such as CAIR, voiced that the verdict delivered some justice, though none can restore what was lost. There is also a recurring call for rejecting hate and ensuring such tragedies do not become normalized. Community leaders and family members emphasize the personal cost and lasting grief.

Context corner

The attack took place against a backdrop of rising tensions and reported increases in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab incidents in the U.S. following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. The region where the incident occurred is home to a significant Palestinian-American community, amplifying concern over hate crimes and prompting broader discussion on Islamophobia in the United States.

Diverging views

While both the left and right-leaning articles report on the facts of the crime and the sentencing, left-leaning sources more explicitly connect Czuba's actions to inflammatory political rhetoric and potential media influence, sometimes citing radicalization through conservative talk radio. Right-leaning sources, in contrast, stick more closely to the details of the crime and trial without as much focus on broader commentary or ideological drivers.

Sources

Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left frame the crime as a "hate crime killing" or "attack" on a "Palestinian American boy," emphasizing the victim's identity and potential prejudice.
Not enough coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
Media outlets on the right mention the victim being "Muslim" and the timing "days after Oct. 7 attacks," potentially linking the event to broader geopolitical narratives.

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Media landscape

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Key points from the Left

An Illinois landlord, Joseph Czuba, was sentenced to 53 years in prison for the murder of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and for wounding his mother, Hanan Shaheen, in a hate crime attack.
Czuba's actions were deemed a response to increased tensions from the Israel-Hamas war, with a jury finding him guilty after 90 minutes of deliberation.
Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak announced that Czuba's actions were 'brutal' and 'heinous,' emphasizing that his sentence would ensure he spends his remaining years in prison.
Following the attack, the U.S. Department of Justice initiated a federal hate crimes investigation, marking this incident as one of the most high-profile anti-Muslim violence cases in recent months.

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Key points from the Center

No summary available because of a lack of coverage.

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Key points from the Right

An Illinois man, Joseph Czuba, was sentenced to 53 years for the murder of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and the wounding of his mother, Hanan Shaheen, in a hate crime stabbing that occurred in October 2023.
Czuba attacked the victims because of their Islamic faith, stabbing Wadee 26 times and injuring Shaheen, highlighting a rise in anti-Muslim hate since the war in Gaza began.
Hanan Shaheen testified that Czuba told her, 'You, as a Muslim, must die,' highlighting the severe discrimination faced by her and her family.
The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated a federal hate crimes investigation following this incident, which reflects a broader concern about rising Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate in the U.S.

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