A six-year-old Muslim boy has been killed after being stabbed 26 times over his religion and in response to the Israel-Hamas war, American authorities have said.
Wadea Al-Fayoume was killed with a seven-inch military style serrated blade on Saturday in Plainfield Township, southwest of Chicago.
His mother, Hanaan Shahin, 32, was also injured in the attack but is expected to survive as a 71-year-old man, Joseph Czuba, of Illinois, was charged with first degree murder and two counts of hate crime.
Joe Biden said the family is Palestinian Muslim and they “came to America seeking what we all seek – a refuge to live, learn, and pray in peace”.
Read more: Gaza ‘running out of life’: UN warns food and water ‘in scarce supply’ as Israel vows ‘fateful’ hour looms for Hamas
“This horrific act of hate has no place in America,” the president added.
Will County Sheriff’s office said: “Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israeli.”
Police said they concluded he was motivated in response to the war, which has killed more than 2,000 across Israel and Palestine, after gathering evidence and carrying out interviews.
They found Czuba sitting on the ground outside the home with a cut to his forehead while the victims were discovered in a bedroom.
Comments are closed.