Joseph Czuba, 73, was convicted of first-degree murder and hate crimes for the fatal stabbing of 6-year-old Wadea Al Fayoumi and the attack on his mother, a Palestinian-American family targeted amid a climate of anti-Palestinian rhetoric and media bias.

JOLIET, Ill. — An Illinois man was found guilty Friday in the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy and the wounding of his mother, an attack that prosecutors said was motivated by anti-Muslim hate and a response to the Israel-Hamas War.

Prosecutors in suburban Chicago said the killing of Wadee Alfayoumi in 2023 was motivated by hatred of Muslims.

A jury has found a 73-year-old Illinois landlord guilty in a hate crime attack that left a Palestinian American boy dead and injured his mother

An Illinois landlord was found guilty on all counts in a murder and hate crime trial. He was accused of fatally stabbing a Palestinian American boy and attacking his mother, who survived. NBC News’ Maggie Vespa has the latest from the courthouse where the jury returned after one hour of deliberating.

Joseph Czuba, 73, an Illinois landlord accused of fatally stabbing a 6-year-old boy and attacking his mother because of their Muslim faith in 2023, was convicted on all eight charges, including first-degree murder.