Manley Helps Dedicate Sensory Playground Honoring Wadee Day, After Boy Who Died in Hate Crime Stabbing

PLAINFIELD, Ill. – Honoring the life of the six year old boy, Wadee AlFayoumi, who was brutally murdered in a hate crime stabbing, State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, helped dedicate a sensory playground on World Peace Day, Sunday. The park is located in the Plainfield Park District’s Van Horn Woods East, 17200 W. Frontage Rd., Plainfield. 

Wadee AlFayoumi, a Palestinian American Muslim child was the first American casualty, death and murder in the United States during the war on Gaza. He and his mother, Hanaan Shaheen, were brutally attacked by their landlord, Josephy Czuba, who has since been sentenced to 53 years in prison. Shaheen survived the attack.

The playground features a plaque which reads, “Wadee’s love of play and serving as a reminder of the importance of inclusivity, understanding and community support.”

“It was a profound honor to participate in this playground’s dedication remembering Wadee, particularly on World Peace Day,” Manley said. “Wadee’s death was senseless, heartwrenching, and should never have happened. The hope is that this playground will serve as a reminder of the importance of inclusivity, and acceptance. All children deserve to grow up happy, free from violence, and above all, free to embrace and live fully in their culture.”

The Illinois legislature unanimously passed a statewide resolution establishing September 21, 2025 as Wadee Day in Illinois. It was a call to resist hate crime and dehumanization and to remember children like Wadee. A Wadee Monument was installed at the same park in June.

Featured: September 21, 2025 is remembered as Wadee Day, with a memorial and a new sensory park honoring the life of the six year old boy, Wadee AlFayoumi, who was brutally murdered in a hate crime stabbing in 2024.