Crime
6-year-old Palestinian child brutally stabbed to death in Chicago
A 71-year-old American stabbed a Palestinian child 26 times.
Chicago: A 6-year-old child of Palestinian origin lost his life in the American state of Illinois, with his mother sustaining severe injuries.
The accused, a 71-year-old individual, unleashed a brutal attack, making 26 stabs with a knife, in a horrific act of violence that is now being investigated as a hate crime.
The child, identified as Widia Al-Fayum, was an American citizen of Palestinian descent.
His mother, Hanan Shaheen, aged 32, was injured in the same attack.
The tragedy unfolded in suburban Chicago, sending shockwaves through the local community.
The Will County Sheriff's Office issued a statement, disclosing that detectives have determined that the mother and son were targeted due to their Muslim faith and the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel in the Middle East. T
his shocking revelation points to the potential hate-motivated nature of the crime.
The incident came to light when authorities discovered the two victims at a residence approximately 40 miles southwest of Chicago.
The child, who had been stabbed 26 times with a large military-style knife, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at a hospital on Sunday.
His mother, Hanan Shaheen, suffered more than a dozen wounds on her body.
The accused, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed by authorities, was found near the residence with a wound on his forehead.
The mother and her son had been residing on the ground floor of the house for the past two years, with the alleged perpetrator reportedly being their landlord.
President Joe Biden expressed his condolences to the grieving family and strongly condemned the brutal killing of the child.
The incident has sparked outrage and concern in the local community and beyond.
Ahmed Rehab, the executive director of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, issued a statement on their website, saying, "We are deeply saddened, and our prayers are with the child who lost his life in this attack."
He expressed confidence in the authorities' ability to investigate the incident promptly and as a hate crime, calling for justice to be served in this heinous tragedy.