Killing of Iryna Zarutska

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Killing of Iryna Zarutska
Surveillance video released by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) shows Iryna Zarutska and the suspect on a light rail train in Charlotte, Aug. 22, 2025 (screengrab-made-video-provided-charlotte-110995888).webp
Surveillance image showing Zarutska (right, sitting) and the perpetrator behind her, moments before the stabbing
Killing of Iryna Zarutska
Location East/West Boulevard station, Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Coordinates 35°12′43″N80°51′33″W / 35.211944°N 80.859167°W / 35.211944; -80.859167
DateAugust 22, 2025 (2025-08-22)
9:50 p.m. EDT (UTC−4) [1]
Attack type
 Stabbing
WeaponFoldable pocketknife [2]
VictimIryna Zarutska
AccusedDecarlos Brown Jr.
Charges First-degree murder (state); [3] violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1992 (terrorist attacks and other violence against mass transportation systems) (federal) [2]

On August 22, 2025, Iryna Zarutska was killed at the East/West Boulevard station on the Lynx Blue Line, in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who had fled her country because of the Russian invasion, was stabbed from behind three times while seated on the train. The suspected assailant, Decarlos Brown Jr., was arrested upon exiting the train and charged with first-degree murder.

Contents

The killing drew international coverage for Zarutska's status as a refugee seeking safety in the United States and prompted statements from public figures including Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina Vi Lyles, Governor of North Carolina Josh Stein, and President of the United States Donald Trump. Footage of the killing sparked outrage on social media, leading to policy discussions about transit security, fare enforcement, and gaps in the criminal justice and mental health systems. [4] [5] In North Carolina, the killing prompted the passage of House Bill 307, dubbed "Iryna's Law", which set out various criminal law reforms, including seeking to resume capital punishment in the state.

Background

Iryna Zarutska (Ukrainian : Ірина Заруцька, 22 May 2002 –22 August 2025) [6] [a] was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, [9] and was 23 years old when she died. [10] Zarutska studied at Synergy College in Kyiv and earned a diploma in art and restoration, leaving at the age of 18. [11] [12] Following the 2022 Russian invasion, the Zarutska family's neighborhood of Solomianskyi was subjected to bombardments as part of the Battle of Kyiv. [12] The Zarutska family moved from their apartment to a small bomb shelter, where they lived for months. In August 2022, Iryna, her mother, her sister, and her younger brother immigrated to the United States, living with her aunt and uncle in Huntersville, North Carolina. [12] Her father remained in Ukraine, as the martial law in vigor prevented men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country. It was reported that he was unable to attend her funeral in the United States, but this was refuted by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. [13] [14] In Huntersville, Iryna took various jobs and began learning English. Her boyfriend gave her driving lessons, since the family had never owned a car. [15] She eventually moved to the NoDa neighbourhood of Charlotte with her boyfriend, where she enrolled in college classes and found work at a pizzeria in Charlotte's Lower South End. [12] On the night of the attack, Zarutska had finished a shift there and was commuting home on the Lynx Blue Line. [16]

The 34-year-old suspect, Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., had been arrested 14 times in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, before the stabbing, with criminal charges dating back to 2007. [17] [18] On April 11, 2014, he was convicted of breaking and entering. While on probation, he was arrested for armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon. [18] Brown was convicted of armed robbery and incarcerated in state prison from 2015 to September 2020. [19] [18] Upon release, he initially lived with his family, but his mother told ABC News that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia at this point and displayed violent behavior at home. [19] His mother said that she had sought involuntary commitment, but that it was denied. The Associated Press reported that involuntary commitments are difficult to obtain unless a court finds the person to be dangerous. [20] North Carolina reduced the capacity of state hospitals in the early 2000s, and the average wait time for a psychiatric bed was 16 days in 2024. [21] After Brown stopped taking psychiatric medication, his mother took him to a homeless shelter. [19] In January 2025, he repeatedly called 911 about a "man-made material" inside him that was controlling his body. Brown was charged with misuse of 911 and released without bond. [22]

Killing

On August 22, 2025, Brown spent several hours riding on the Lynx Blue Line, during which surveillance footage showed him "making unusual movements" and laughing to himself. At 8:18 PM, he was passed by two Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) security officials, but did not interact with them. [1] Local Charlotte television channel WBTV later quoted authorities as saying that Brown "did not have a ticket to ride the train". [23]

At 9:46 PM that evening, Zarutska boarded the Lynx Blue Line at the Scaleybark station in Charlotte's South End neighborhood. [1] [11] Surveillance footage shows Zarutska sitting in front of Brown, who was already seated on the train. Four minutes after Zarutska boarded, Brown pulled a pocketknife from his hoodie and stabbed Zarutska three times from behind, including at least once in the neck. [24] [25] Zarutska remained conscious or semi-conscious for nearly a minute before bleeding out and collapsing on the floor. [26] No security personnel were present in the train car, though there were officers on board the train one car ahead. [27] [28] At least four other people were sitting near Zarutska during the stabbing, and passengers provided assistance after she collapsed on the floor. [26] Zarutska became "unresponsive" shortly after the stabbing [18] and was pronounced dead at the scene. [29] [30] A Federal Bureau of Investigation affidavit stated that she had one stab wound in the middle of her neck and a small cut on her left knee. [31] After the attack, Brown is reported to have said "I got that white girl." [32] [33]

Brown exited the train at the East/West Boulevard station two minutes following the stabbing, and was arrested by police on the platform. [34] [27] [25] He was transported for treatment for a hand wound. [18] Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) named Brown as the suspect, and it did not disclose the motive for the attack. [35]

Following Brown's arrest, a judge ordered a 60-day psychological evaluation at a local hospital. [36] On September 15, 2025, Brown was indicted by a grand jury. He was charged in North Carolina state court with first-degree murder [3] [4] and in federal court with committing an act causing death on a mass-transportation system. [2] [37] [38] [39] [40] He is being held at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center without bond. [41] The investigation remains ongoing, with CMPD's homicide unit encouraging the public to provide any relevant information. [4]

United States magistrate judge Susan Rodriguez appointed capital defense lawyer Joshua Kendrick to represent Brown alongside federal public defenders Mary Ellen Coleman and Megan Hoffman. [42] In October 2025, it was announced that a Rule 24 court hearing to determine whether Brown would face the death penalty had been delayed to April 2026. [43] On October 22, Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury for violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system. [44]

Reactions

Zarutska's death raised concerns about the safety of Charlotte's Lynx Blue Line. Charlotte City Council member Edwin Peacock III stressed fragile public trust and urged CATS and CMPD to review security. CATS confirmed the train operator followed protocol, holding the train until police arrived. [27] On September 5, 2025, CATS released surveillance video of the stabbing. [25] [45] Following the killing, local officials and the district attorney publicly discussed gaps in Mecklenburg County's mental health and justice systems, using the case as an example in debates over how courts handle defendants with serious mental illness. [21] Mayor Vi Lyles called the killing "senseless and tragic", and urged respect for the victim's family as the investigation continued. [46] Multiple Charlotte City Council officials and candidates in the 2025 Charlotte mayoral election called for greater action to ensure safety on public transit. [47] Dimple Ajmera, another member of Charlotte City Council, said of the crime, "Clearly, our current safety policies are not enough", and expressed concern that fear of crime in the transportation system might affect an upcoming referendum to expand the city's light rail system. [48] CATS said it would seek to increase fare inspections, install new ticket validators, and expand security staffing on trains and platforms. [49] On September 22, Charlotte City Council agreed to expand the scope of Professional Police Services LLC, a private security contractor appointed to carry out safety monitoring on the Lynx Blue Line, to include sidewalks and other areas adjacent to transit centers. [50] [51]

The killing garnered national attention in the United States, particularly from right-wing political commentators, and was described by The Charlotte Observer as having become "politicized". [52] [53] Conservative commentators accused mainstream media of not covering the Charlotte killing, which involved a white victim and a black suspect, as much as the Jordan Neely case where the situation was opposite. [54] U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy publicly blamed public transit and Charlotte City Council officials for the killing, [55] and Elon Musk criticized judges and district attorneys for allowing "criminals to roam free". [52] Speaking at the Museum of the Bible on September 8, U.S. President Donald Trump called the attacker a "madman" and "lunatic", and said that "when you have horrible killings, you have to take horrible actions. And the actions that we take are nothing", before blaming local officials in places like Chicago for failing to stop crime and denounced cashless bail. [56] On the same day, the White House released a statement criticizing "North Carolina's Democrat politicians, prosecutors, and judges" for "prioritizing woke agendas that fail to protect their citizens". [57] On September 9, the White House released a video in which Trump said that Zarutska was "slaughtered by a deranged monster". [58] On September 24, U.S. Vice President JD Vance discussed the killing in a visit to Concord, North Carolina, blaming it on "soft-on-crime policies" and stating he was "open" to deploying the North Carolina National Guard to Charlotte if requested by Governor Stein and Mayor Lyles. [59] The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary held a field hearing in Charlotte on September 29 on safety in public transit systems and the treatment of repeat offenders. [50] [60]

The case received international coverage, including in Ukraine, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stating it was "in constant contact" with investigators. [61] [62] Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid tribute to Zarutska. [63] In the United Kingdom, The Times noted that the case had "fuelled a debate about crime rates in the United States", [64] while The Daily Telegraph noted the case has "triggered uproar over crime in the US". [53]

Iryna's Law

At a state level, North Carolina governor Josh Stein called for "more cops on the beat", for the state legislature to pass a law enforcement package to address vacancies, [65] and for review of the pretrial system. [50] State lawmakers introduced a criminal law reform bill – House Bill 307, dubbed "Iryna's Law" – in the North Carolina General Assembly on September 22. [50] Iryna's Law was passed 28–8 by the North Carolina Senate on September 22 and 81–31 by the North Carolina House of Representatives on September 23, and signed into law by Stein on October 3. [66] [67] Measures set out in Iryna's Law include:

President pro tempore of the North Carolina Senate Phil Berger also stated that he would seek to revive capital punishment in North Carolina, with no executions having taken place since 2006. [66] [71] Several Republican members of the North Carolina House of Representatives signed an open letter demanding the removal of the state court magistrate judge who released the suspect on his own recognizance following his arrest for a misdemeanor earlier in 2025. [72] [73]

Memorials and tributes

On August 31, 2025, a candlelight vigil in Charlotte honored Zarutska and other recent victims of transit-related violence. [74] North Carolina officials also announced a candlelight vigil to mark 30 days after her death, scheduled for September 22 at the East/West Boulevard station. [75] Her family elected to bury Zarutska in the United States. [76] [77]

Zarutska's death inspired numerous murals across the United States for which funds have been raised. [78] In September 2025, American rapper DaBaby released the song "Save Me" dedicated to Zarutska, with a video re-enacting the event but with DaBaby saving Zarutska. [79]

In October 2025, a newly described species of Celastrina butterfly from the coastal area of Georgia and South Carolina was named Celastrina iryna ("Iryna's Azure") in tribute to Zarutska. [80] [81]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ pronounced [iˈrɪnɐzɐˈrut͡sʲkɐ] [7] [8]

References

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  2. 1 2 3 "Justice Department Charges Light Rail Attacker with Federal Crime". United States Department of Justice . September 9, 2025. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Yan, Holly; Winter, Jeff (September 10, 2025). "Suspect in Charlotte train stabbing that killed a Ukrainian refugee is charged with a federal crime. Here's what we know". CNN .
  4. 1 2 3 Lee, Hank; Pierre, Jesse; King, Anna (September 5, 2025). "CATS releases surveillance video of deadly light rail stabbing". WCNC-TV . North Carolina. Archived from the original on September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  5. ↑ "У США вбили 23-річну українку Ірину Заруцьку: що відомо". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). August 26, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
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  7. ↑ "ІРИНА — ТЛУМАЧЕННЯ". Горох — українські словники. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  8. ↑ Bogdan, F. (1974). Dictionary of Ukrainian Surnames in Canada. Winnipeg: Onomastic Commission of UVAN / Canadian Institute of Onomastic Sciences. p. 338.
  9. ↑ "Iryna Zarutska's obituary, visitation & funeral information". James Funeral Home. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Obituary gives more details about light rail stabbing victim". WFAE . August 28, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
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  21. 1 2 Sands, Alexandria (September 4, 2025). "Mecklenburg's DA acknowledges criminal justice system gaps following light rail killing". Axios . Retrieved September 7, 2025.
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  23. ↑ Lee, Hank (September 6, 2025). "'Senseless and tragic': Charlotte mayor issues statement on deadly CATS stabbing". WCNC-TV . North Carolina. Archived from the original on September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
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  30. ↑ Altman-Devilbiss, Alexx (September 8, 2025). "What we know about the repeat offender accused of killing Ukrainian refugee on NC train". WCHS-TV . Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  31. ↑ Yilek, Caitlin (September 9, 2025). "DOJ charges man for deadly stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in North Carolina". CBS News . Retrieved September 20, 2025.
  32. ↑ "CAIR–North Carolina backs hate crime probe into murder of Iryna Zarutska, condemns attempts to stoke anti-black racism". September 10, 2025. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  33. ↑ Wooten, Alan (September 11, 2025). "Federal hate crime charge sought in Charlotte stabbing". The Center Square . Retrieved September 26, 2025– via Yahoo News.
  34. ↑ Biswas, Shuvrajit Das (September 7, 2025). "Who is Decarlos Brown Jr.? Man arrested for murdering Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in North Carolina". Hindustan Times . Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  35. ↑ "Case Update: Homicide Investigation in the Central Division". Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department . Retrieved September 6, 2025.
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  40. ↑ Ax, Joseph (September 8, 2025). "Trump cites Ukrainian woman's murder in push for broad crime crackdown". Reuters .
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  43. ↑ Chrisman, Spencer (October 16, 2025). "Hearing to determine if North Carolina will pursue death penalty for alleged light rail killer delayed". WBTV . Retrieved October 20, 2025.
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  63. ↑ Woodhouse, Arri (September 24, 2025). "Ukrainian President Zelenskyy mourns the death of Iryna Zarutska at United Nations meeting". Queen City News . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
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  65. ↑ Ahmadi, Ali Abbas (September 9, 2025). "Fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee in North Carolina ignites crime debate". BBC News . Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  66. 1 2 3 "North Carolina legislature passes 'Iryna's Law' after refugee's stabbing death". CNN . Associated Press. September 24, 2025. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  67. ↑ Opeka, Theresa (October 3, 2025). "Stein signs Iryna's Law into law but says it doesn't go far enough". The Carolina Journal . Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  68. 1 2 3 4 5 "NC lawmakers to talk criminal justice reform in wake of deadly train stabbing". WTVD . September 9, 2025. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  69. 1 2 Medina, Eduardo (September 22, 2025). "N.C. Senate Republicans Pass Sweeping Crime Bill After Stabbing". The New York Times . Archived from the original on September 23, 2025. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  70. ↑ "North Carolina governor signs criminal justice bill into law after Ukrainian refugee's death". CNN . Associated Press. October 4, 2025. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  71. ↑ Carswell, Kerri; Zehnder, Katherine (September 21, 2025). "NC General Assembly to weigh 'Iryna's Law' and six veto overrides Monday". Carolina Journal . Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  72. ↑ Frolo, Caitlyn (September 9, 2025). "NC Republicans push to fire judge who released murder suspect in Ukrainian refugee's death". KFOX-TV . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  73. ↑ Cockburn, Harry (September 24, 2025). "GOP calls for judge who released Iryna Zarutska's alleged killer to be removed from the bench". The Independent . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  74. ↑ Korynta, Emma (August 31, 2025). "Vigil held for victims of deadly Charlotte transportation crimes". WCNC-TV .
  75. ↑ Forrester, Megan (September 10, 2025). "Charlotte light rail stabbing: Trump demands death penalty for suspect". ABC News .
  76. ↑ Lomis, Connor (September 10, 2025). "Ukrainian refugee stabbed to death on Charlotte light rail will be buried in the U.S., 'she loved America'". WBTV . Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  77. ↑ Yilek, Caitlin (September 9, 2025). "DOJ charges man for deadly stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in North Carolina". CBS News . Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  78. ↑ "Abilene business honors Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska with mural". KTXS-TV. September 16, 2025. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  79. ↑ "DaBaby drops heart-wrenching music video honoring Iryna Zarutska: "Save Me"". Yahoo!. September 17, 2025. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  80. ↑ WSOCTV.com news staff (October 23, 2025). "Species of butterfly named for Iryna Zarutska". WSOC-TV . Retrieved October 24, 2025– via Yahoo News.
  81. ↑ Toledo, Martin (October 27, 2025). "Iryna Zarutska's tragic death inspires a new butterfly — but why did scientist Harry Pavulaan choose her name?". International Business Times . Retrieved October 28, 2025.
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