On Friday, Joseph Czuba was indicted by a grand jury in Plainfield, Illinois, on three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crimes and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after stabbing a six-year-old boy to death and injuring his 32-year-old mother.
The stabbing took place just before noon on October 14.
Czuba, 71, was distressed about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and targeted the mother and child after learning that they were Muslim, according to the Will County Sheriff’s Office.
The Chicago Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations identified the victims as Hanaan Shahin and Wadea Al-Fayoume, who lived below Czub, who was their landlord, for two years and never encountered any incidents.
Once they arrived at the scene, deputies located the victims in a bedroom inside their home. Both had multiple stab wounds to their chest and torso. The boy was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead after being stabbed 26 times.
Czuba was treated for lacerations to his forehead and then transported to the Will County Adult Detention Facility.
Czuba had been listening to a conservative talk radio program about the Israel-Hamas war before initiating the attack. He is expected back in court on Monday.
