Members of the Plainfield community gathered on Saturday for an emotional ceremony honoring Wadee Alfayoumi – the 6-year-old boy murdered in an anti-Muslim hate crime in 2023.

A new monument was unveiled Saturday at the Van Horn Woods East playground in Plainfield.

The statue depicts Wadee's silhouette, with his hand making 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 was killed.

Those gathering on Saturday called on the community to keep fighting against hate.

"To Wadee, I hope that you hear this, and I hope that you are at peace. You are still so, so loved, and I hope you're running around in fields just like this one in heaven," said Soha Khatib, with the Palestinian Youth Movement.

Wadee's killer was convicted on all counts in February and was sentenced last month to 53 years in prison.

• Plainfield