By Jack Phillips and Tom Ozimek
Contributing Writers
Officials last week released video footage showing the moments leading up to the Aug. 22 killing of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian war refugee, on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, prompting questions about crime and public safety.
Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, is accused of killing the woman. He was charged with first-degree murder in August, police said in an Aug. 29 statement. He remains held without bond.
The footage was released by the Charlotte Area Transit System on Sept. 5.
Video Shows Moments Before Incident
Brown is allegedly shown pulling out a knife and standing up behind 23-year-old Zarutska before the video cuts as he prepares to stab her, according to the footage. The video footage doesn’t show the stabbing occurring.
The Charlotte Area Transit System released the footage showing Zarutska boarding the Lynx Blue Line around 9:45 p.m. on Aug. 22, wearing a pizzeria uniform and scrolling on her phone. A man in a red hoodie sat behind her. About four minutes later, he pulled out a knife and stabbed her several times, including at least once in the neck. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Zarutska appeared to be unaware of Brown’s actions and was scrolling on her phone.
The footage later shows Brown walking through the train with blood dripping on the floor as he carries a weapon. Bystanders do not appear to take notice of Brown or the woman who was fatally stabbed behind them.
Brown was arrested in August in relation to the incident, officials said in a statement at the time.
Court and jail records show that Brown has past convictions for robbery, larceny, breaking and entering, and shoplifting. He served five years in prison for armed robbery.
It’s not clear whether Brown has legal representation.
Moved to Escape War
According to an obituary, Zarutska was born in 2002 in Kyiv, Ukraine, and moved to the United States in mid-2022 with family members “to escape the war” with Russia that erupted just months earlier.
“Iryna will be remembered for her kindness, her creativity, and the lasting impression she left on everyone she met. Her absence leaves a deep void, but her spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those who loved her,” the obituary read.
“She dreamed of pursuing a career as a veterinary assistant while also working toward her independence by learning to drive. Remarkably, she became fluent in English within a very short time, reflecting her determination and love of learning.”
A GoFundMe was also established, raising $81,000 for her family as of the morning of Sept. 8.
Trump Condemns Stabbing
President Donald Trump on Monday denounced the fatal stabbing as a “horrible” act, saying the nation must stand up against “evil people.”
“We’re all people of religion, but there are evil people,” Trump said during remarks at the Museum of the Bible. “And we have to confront that. I just give my love and hope to the family of the young woman who was stabbed … in Charlotte by a madman.”
“A lunatic just got up and started,” Trump said. “It’s right on tape. Not really watchable because it’s so horrible, but just viciously stabbed. She’s just sitting there.”
Trump later took to social media to say that the accused was a career criminal who had been released on cashless bail a total of 14 times.
“What … was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP,” the president wrote, adding that the victim’s “blood is on the hands of” politicians who refuse to put bad people in jail.
The killing has drawn national attention, with Republicans tying the incident to national debates over criminality.
The Mecklenburg County Republican Party announced a news conference on public safety for Wednesday.
“Charlotte deserves leadership that prioritizes the safety of its residents over excuses,” Kyle Kirby, chairman of the Mecklenburg County GOP, said in a statement released on Facebook.
“The tragic death of Iryna Zarutska highlights a dangerous pattern of neglect and failed policies from our city’s leadership,” he said, adding that it “must be addressed.”
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles expressed sorrow over the incident and vowed action to protect Charlotte residents and ensure safety in the city.
“This was a senseless and tragic loss. My prayers remain with her loved ones as they continue to grieve through an unimaginable time. Like so many of you, I’m heartbroken – and I’ve been thinking hard about what safety really looks like in our city. I remain committed to doing all we can to protect our residents and ensure Charlotte is a place where everyone feels safe.”
“The video of the heartbreaking attack that took Iryna Zarutska’s life is now public,” she said in a post on X. “This was a senseless and tragic loss. My prayers remain with her loved ones as they continue to grieve through an unimaginable time.
“Like so many of you, I’m heartbroken — and I’ve been thinking hard about what safety really looks like in our city. I remain committed to doing all we can to protect our residents and ensure Charlotte is a place where everyone feels safe.”
Lyles also thanked media outlets for not reposting or sharing footage of the attack “out of respect for Iryna’s family,” a remark that drew some criticism.
State Rep. Brenden Jones, a Republican and the House majority leader, criticized Lyles for the remark.
“Thanking the media for staying quiet about a tragic death shows exactly how Democrats in big cities try to cover up their crime problem,” Jones said in a post on X.
At the national level, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy blamed Charlotte officials, saying in a Sunday post on X that the suspect “had a track record longer than a CVS receipt, including prison time for robbery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering, and larceny. By failing to properly punish him, Charlotte failed Iryna Zarutska and North Carolinians.”
After Trump’s remarks, Duffy accused Charlotte officials and those “on the left” of “downplaying murders like this by saying we can’t demonize the homeless or the mentally ill.”
The stabbing comes amid national debate about federal efforts to crack down on crime. Trump has already federalized law enforcement in Washington and warned that high-crime cities such as Chicago could be next.
White House adviser Stephen Miller commented on the video footage over the weekend, saying that Democratic officials have allegedly “organized” themselves around the defense of criminals, responding to a post asking about judges who allowed Brown “to go free after each arrest.”
“The violence in Charlotte is a microcosm of a national epidemic. Americans deserve better than Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies,” Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., said in a post on X.
