Police say Joseph Czuba, 71, the family's landlord, targeted them for their religion and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas, police said. He is charged with the fatal stabbing of Wadea Al-Fayoume, 6, and the wounding of his mother Hanaan Shahin, 32, on Oct. 14, in Plainfield Township, about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Chicago. The boy was stabbed 26 times with a military-style knife with a 7-inch (18-cm) serrated blade, the Will County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The Department of Justice has also opened a federal investigation into Al-Fayoume's death. Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Persons: Joseph Czuba, George Lenard, Wadea, Hanaan Shahin, Lenard, Czuba, Rich McKay, Mark Porter Organizations: Reuters, Police, Hamas, NBC News, of Justice, Al, Thomson Locations: Israel, An Illinois, Chicago, Plainfield Township, Will, Joilet, Atlanta