Suit filed by father of Palestinian American youngster killed at age 6

Officials in Illinois have labeled the stabbing death of a Palestinian American kid, aged 6, by his landlord as a hate crime, and the boy's father has reportedly sued for wrongful death.

Last month, Oday Al-Fayoume took legal action against Discerning Property Management, which employed 71-year-old Joseph Czuba, Mary Czuba, and themselves. The 14th of October was the alleged murder of Wadea Al-Fayoume and significant injury to Joseph Czuba's mother, Hanaan Shahin, by stabbing.

Czuba supposedly expressed to his wife before the attack that he wanted Shahin and Wadea to vacate the house where they had been for two years. Legal documents from November 21 state that he reportedly expressed concern that Shahin's "Palestinian friends" might do harm to the plaintiffs.

The management business and Mary Czuba "were indifferent and failed to recognize a threat and prevent serious bodily harm" to their residents, according to the lawsuit. On March 11, there will be a hearing.

“Justice can take numerous forms... ” The Associated Press was informed by Ben Crane, who is the lawyer for Oday Al-Fayoume, that while there is undeniably a tremendous loss in Wadea, his mother was also severely hurt. Crane said that the family believes there are possibilities to obtain compensation for their suffering.

Court documents show that Mary Czuba has filed for a divorce from Joseph Czuba, but that the Czubas have not yet retained legal representation in the wrongful death lawsuit.

Not guilty was Joseph Czuba's plea in court in October. Following his grand jury indictment last week, he is now facing accusations of two hate crimes, aggravated violence with a lethal weapon, attempted first-degree murder, and first-degree murder.

Czuba is still in jail in Will County as the criminal case moves forward to a hearing in January.

The authorities claim that Czuba's "hatred of Muslims" drove him to target the family as a reaction to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On the morning of October 14, deputies from the Will County Sheriff's Office discovered Wadea and Shahin at a house in an unincorporated region of Plainfield Township, approximately 40 miles southwest of Chicago, suffering from severe stab wounds. Upon arrival at the hospital, both victims were taken to a room where Wadea passed away.

Despite surviving the attack, Shahin revealed its cause to the police. According to Shahin's account to the authorities, Czuba brutally challenged her on the Israeli-Gaza conflict, and then he assaulted both her and Wadea.

Officials and campaigners from throughout the country condemned the event, which garnered widespread media coverage. Fears would be rekindled among Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian groups after the assault, which Attorney General Merrick predicted would happen, prompting the Justice Department to launch a federal hate crimes inquiry.

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