An Illinois judge sentenced Joseph M. Czuba to 53 years in prison for the murder of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and the attempted murder of Wadee's mother, Hanan Shaheen, in 2023, acts driven by anti-Muslim hate. The crime, occurring shortly after the outbreak of violence in the Middle East, drew international attention and highlighted fears within the Palestinian American and Muslim communities in Illinois. Czuba, who had rented rooms to Shaheen for two years, became increasingly paranoid due to media coverage of the conflict, leading to his violent actions. During the trial, Shaheen recounted Czuba's hateful remarks and the brutal attack, emphasizing the hate-fueled motivation behind the crime. Despite the conviction, the family of the victims expressed that no sentence could truly bring satisfaction or understanding of such an act of violence.

Joseph M. Czuba was sentenced to 53 years in prison for the murder of Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy, and the attempted murder of his mother, Hanan Shaheen. The jury found these acts to be motivated by anti-Muslim hate.

The attack took place in October 2023, shortly after conflict erupted in the Middle East, and drew significant international attention. Czuba reportedly became paranoid after consuming media coverage of the events overseas.

Hanan Shaheen, who had been a tenant of Czuba's for two years without issues, testified that Czuba began speaking hatefully about Muslims and asked her to leave his property. The attack occurred just days after this confrontation.

During the attack, Shaheen was stabbed multiple times but managed to call 911 from a bathroom. Unfortunately, Czuba fatally stabbed Wadee, who had just celebrated his sixth birthday.

The defense argued that Czuba did not receive a fair trial, but the jury quickly convicted him on charges of murder and hate crime. The family of the victims expressed that no sentence could truly satisfy or provide closure for their loss.

The incident has instilled fear and anger within Illinois's Palestinian American and Muslim communities, with some leaders attributing part of the blame to dehumanizing rhetoric from American politicians and media.

Despite repeated requests for an explanation, Czuba chose not to speak at his sentencing, leaving the family and community without answers to the motivations behind his actions.