Overview

• Joseph Czuba is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and hate crimes for the October 2023 stabbing of Wadea Al-Fayoumi and his mother, Hanan Shaheen, in Plainfield, Illinois.
• Prosecutors allege that Czuba targeted the family due to their Muslim faith, influenced by his growing paranoia over the Israel-Hamas conflict after consuming conservative media commentary.
• The attack left 6-year-old Wadea dead from 26 stab wounds and his mother seriously injured with over a dozen wounds; she survived after locking herself in a bathroom and calling 911.
• Czuba’s wife reportedly told investigators that he feared the family would harm him, and prosecutors argue his actions were motivated by hatred and radicalized beliefs.
• The case has drawn national attention, with advocates condemning the attack as emblematic of rising anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. and calling for accountability through a life sentence.