A 6-year-old boy was stabbed 26 times with a 7-inch blade outside  Chicago. DOJ now investigating boy's murder as possible anti-Muslim hate crime.



A 6-year-old boy was butchered with a 12-inch military-style knife Saturday outside Chicago. While Wadea Al-Fayoume succumbed to the 26 stab wounds inflicted upon his little body, his 32-year-old mother, who was similarly stabbed dozens of times, is expected to survive.

The Will County Sheriff's Office indicated that "both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis."

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced Sunday that the Department of Justice has opened a federal hate crime investigation into the brutal slaying.

What are the details?

According to the WCSO, deputies responded to a report of a stabbing involving a landlord and a renter at a house on the 16200 block of S. Lincoln Highway in Unincorporated Plainfield Township Saturday just before noon. The township is roughly 40 miles southwest of Chicago.

The landlord, 71-year-old Joseph M. Czuba of Plainfield, was waiting for them at the driveway of the residence, seated upright and bloodied.

Inside the building was a gory nightmare.

Deputies found the boy and his mother, Hanaan Shahin, both riddled with stab wounds to their chests, torsos, and upper extremities. The murder weapon was reportedly a 12-inch serrated military-style knife with a seven-inch blade.A forensic pathologist retrieved the knife from the child's abdomen when conducting the autopsy on Sunday.

Officials indicated that during the attack, Shahin had fled into the bathroom and continued battling her attacker while calling 911, reported the New York Times.

The WCSO indicated both victims were taken to a local area hospital for treatment. While the boy ultimately succumbed to his wounds, Shahin is recovering and expected to survive.

Detectives determined that the boy and his mother were targeted due to their religiosity and "the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis."

Family members reportedly indicated the victims are Palestinian Americans.

WLS-TV reported the critically injured mother came to the U.S. from the West Bank 12 years ago.

Mariola Jagodzinski, a neighbor, told the Times she never had negative interactions with the suspect. She was also familiar with the victims, to whom she had given toys in the past.

"He was a playful child — really full of energy," said Jagodzinski. "Kids are innocent. This really destroys so many hearts."

Yousef Hannon, the boy's paternal uncle, stated Sunday, "We are not animals, we are humans. We want people to see us as humans, to feel us as humans, to deal with us as humans, because this is what we are," reported the Associated Press.

Czuba, who was initially taken to hospital with a cut on his forehead, was later later questioned at the Will County Sheriff's Office Public Safety Complex. While the suspect reportedly refused to comment on the brutal slaying, detectives reportedly collected sufficient evidence for him to be formally charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two hate crime counts, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the activist Council on American-Islamic Relations, lauded the WCSO "and all those who worked on what was a swift and decisive investigation that did not mince words. Their work sets a standard that I hope will be followed elsewhere. It really helps to have that level of closure for family and community before our darling Wadea is put to rest."

Rehab also claimed during a news conference over the weekend that Czuba had previously been kind to the boy but underwent a radical shift in thinking in recent days.

"[Czuba] built a tree house for the boy and allowed him to swim in a makeshift pool and brought him toys, but it wasn't until he started watching the news and hearing the statements that something changed," said Rehab.

The Associated Press indicated that attempts to reach out to the suspect's family have so far proven unsuccessful.

Czuba's initial court appearance is set to take place at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet, Illinois.

Officials respond

Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a statement hours after the murder, noting that "to take a six year old child's life in the name of bigotry is nothing short of evil. Wadea should be heading to school in the morning. Instead, his parents will wake up without their son. This wasn't just a murder — it was a hate crime."

"Today, MK and I join our Muslim and Palestinian brothers and sisters in mourning this tragic loss and praying for the recovery of Wadea's mother. May Wadea Al-Fayoume's memory be a blessing," added Pritzker.

Garland announced late Sunday that the attack was being investigated as a federal hate crime.

"This incident cannot help but further raise the fears of Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian communities in our country with regard to hate-fueled violence," said Garland. "The Department of Justice is focused on protecting the safety and the civil rights of every person in this country. We will use every legal authority at our disposal to bring to justice those who perpetrate illegal acts of hate. No one in the United States of America should have to live in fear of violence because of how they worship or where they or their family come from."

WLS reported that the Chicago FBI Field Office, the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois said they have opened an investigation into the boy's murder.

The following message was posted from President Joe Biden's X account just before midnight Sunday: "Jill and I were sickened to learn of the brutal murder of a child and the attempted murder of the child's mother yesterday in Illinois. Our condolences and prayers are with the family. This act of hate against a Palestinian Muslim family has no place in America."

The message concluded, "As Americans, we must come together and reject Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry and hatred. I have said repeatedly that I will not be silent in the face of hate. We must be unequivocal."

The Illinois State Police suggested that as the Israeli-Hamas conflict proceeds, police will be beefing up communications and activity in the face of "elevated level of threats of violence and hate crimes related to the current conflict."

ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly said, "Everyone in Illinois — both law enforcement and community members alike — must remain on guard against both terrorism and hate crimes during this period of volatility. ... If you see something, say something, before it's too late."

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Woman taken into custody after reportedly stabbing three including a 71-year-old at Atlanta airport



A crazed woman is in custody after allegedly stabbing three people Wednesday at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

According to the City of Atlanta Police Department, officers encountered 44-year-old Damaris Milton brandishing a knife outside the security checkpoint, walking to the South Terminal.

Footage of the incident shows the suspect screaming, pointing the knife threateningly, and taunting police.

@wsbtv @Collinpt21 Yes, and here is a better video of the lady with a knife, too!
— Mitch Jergensen (@Mitch Jergensen) 1697062959

APD Sgt. John Chafee told WSB-TV, "Officers encountered her, began to talk her into dropping the knife, limited her movement."

Rather than comply, the suspect stabbed a female airport clerk and the APD lieutenant who had attempted to take her into custody.

Police sources told WAGA-TV that the knife struck an artery in the 71-year-old lieutenant's leg and nicked the clerk.

After this initial bloodletting, another officer managed to tackle the suspect to the ground and disarm her. Later, police learned that the suspect had allegedly stabbed the driver of a taxi who had taken her to the airport.

Police indicated all three victims were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and are expected to recover.

The airport reportedly gave the all-clear roughly 40 minutes after the initial stabbing. No flights were reportedly canceled.

— (@)

Milton, apparently a resident of Orlando, Florida, was taken by Jonesboro Police Department officers to the Clayton County Jail. She has been charged with four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that authorities are investigating what led to the stabbings, which appear to have been random.

"It doesn't appear that there's a connection between her and them, but that’s something we'll be looking into," said Sgt. Chafee.

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Disturbing video shows Toronto subway riders look on as bleeding man is chased down by knife-wielding maniac: 'He's stabbing him up!'



A man in his 30s was stabbed multiple times on a Toronto subway train around 12:23 p.m. on Thursday. This brazen midday attack is the latest in a spate of bloodlettings on the city's transit system in recent months.

It's unclear what precipitated the initial altercation, but following a brief exchange of blows, the suspect can be seen brandishing a blade in footage of the attack.

The victim attempts to drive the suspect back with a kick and a flurry of defensive punches, but upon catching at least one stab to the side, begins to retreat, trailing blood and yelling "help, help."

Other passengers look on with mild concern as the bloodied man runs by with the suspect closing in behind him.

In a longer video of the incident, a woman can be heard saying, "Somebody help him! ... He's stabbing him up! ... He's killing him," as passengers belatedly stampeded away from the attempted butchery.

Another rider can be heard panicking, saying, "I can't get off the train."

Here is the graphic video of the incident:

— (@)
The Toronto Police Service indicated that the train was traveling toward the city's downtown when the suspect "stabbed the victim multiple times."
Upon the train's arrival Eglinton station, the suspect fled. His victim was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Toronto police indicated that by 5:30 p.m. Thursday evening, the victim's condition had stabilized, reported Global News.

Duty Inspector Michelle Olszevski told reporters, "This was an isolated incident and it appears there was a verbal disagreement between the suspect and the victim prior to the stabbing occurring. Whether or not they are known to each other I didn’t know," reported CP24.

Police have released an image of the suspect, who they indicated is in his mid- to late twenties, 5'10", with a thin build and a shaved head. He is wanted on suspicion of attempted murder.
— (@)

The Toronto Transit Commission said in a statement, "Our thoughts are with the victim at this uncertain time. Safety of our customers and employees is paramount to all we do."

TTC service at Eglinton station did not resume for seven hours.

The Toronto Star reported that there have been a number of stabbings and assaults on the city's transit system in recent weeks.

On June 2, a man was stabbed at Kennedy station in the city's east end. Five suspects were arrested, all between ages 12 and 15.

Earlier the same day, a man attacked another passenger without provocation, putting the victim in a "choke hold and causing injuries" on a TTC bus at Kennedy Road and Sheppard Avenue East.

On May 27, a young man was brutally stabbed at the Downsview Park subway station.

On March 26, a 22-year-old homeless man was charged with first-degree murder after allegedly fatally stabbing 16-year-old Gabriel Magalhaes in an unprovoked attack at Keele station. A day later, a man was stabbed on a TTC bus at Keele St. and Donald Avenue.

According to the Toronto Police Service, crime is up significantly this year: Assaults are up 16.8%; auto thefts, 39.1%; home invasions, 13.1%; thefts, 29.1%; and sexual violations, 12.7%. There have been 31 murders so far this year.

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MoMA Madness: ​New York's Museum of Modern Art evacuated after employees were stabbed



Violent crime continues to affect the daily lives of New York residents.

Saturday afternoon, people visiting the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City were evacuated from the museum after two employees were stabbed inside the museum, CNN reported.

Having been stabbed in the back, the collar bone, and the neck, both employees received serious wounds in the attacks and were rushed to Bellevue Hospital.

Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said that both of the attack victims are expected to survive.

He said, “At approximately 4:15 this afternoon, an individual entered the museum, attempted to gain entrance presenting his membership card and was denied entrance because his membership had expired. His membership had expired as a result of two incidents involving disorderly conduct here at the museum on two separate dates in recent days.”

The attacker — who has been identified as 60-year-old Gary Cabana — became angry after he was denied entrance to the museum and subsequently jumped over the reception desk and attack the two museum employees.

The NYPD is still searching for Cabana.

Reportedly, Cabana is a regular at MoMA and entered the facility on Saturday with the intention of attending a film viewing.

He is known to NYPD and is wanted by the department in connection with two incidents that occurred in Midtown Manhattan prior to the stabbing. The police say they have a “direction of his flight.”

Miller said, “The individual involved in this incident is known to us and we are endeavoring to locate this person right now.”

He added that the incident is “still unfolding” and the “investigation is in its early stages.”

The Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, said that he was briefed on the incident. His press secretary said that it “appears to be an isolated, criminal incident.”

Adams asked for the public’s help in locating Cabana. He said, “Please continue to avoid the area while police continue their investigation and if you have any information, please contact NYPD immediately. Public safety is our top priority.”

One MoMA patron said that when the attack occurred, museum visitors were not told what was happening and were rushed out of the facility.

The patron said, “We weren’t told what was going on, just that they had to close the exhibits immediately. A woman did say it was an emergency.”

In response to the ongoing investigation, MoMA said that its facilities will be closed to the public on Sunday.

The Museum and its Stores will be closed to the public tomorrow, Sunday, March 13. For assistance in refunding or rescheduling tickets, please contact us at information@moma.org.
— MoMA The Museum of Modern Art (@MoMA The Museum of Modern Art) 1647141231