On Saturday, members of the Plainfield community gathered for an emotional ceremony to honour Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old boy who was murdered in an anti-Muslim hate crime in 2023.
A new monument was unveiled on Saturday at Plainfield’s Van Horn Woods East Playground.
The statue depicts Wadee’s silhouette, with his hand forming a heart shape.
The Palestinian-American boy and his mother were stabbed by their landlord in 2023. Wadee’s mother survived the attack, but he perished.
Those gathered on Saturday urged the community to continue fighting hate.
“I hope Wadee hears this and is at peace. “You are still so, so loved, and I hope you are running around in fields like this one in heaven,” said Soha Khatib of the Palestinian Youth Movement.
Wadee’s killer was found guilty on all charges in February and sentenced to 53 years in prison last month.
