Iryna Zarutska was a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was fatally stabbed on August 22, 2025, while riding a Charlotte, North Carolina light rail train. She had fled Ukraine due to the Russian invasion and was living in Charlotte, where she was employed and pursuing community college courses. During a late- night train ride, a man named Decarlos Brown Jr., who was mentally ill and had a criminal record, suddenly stabbed her. Zarutska died on the train from her injuries as other passengers tried to help her. Brown was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and a federal offense for causing death on a mass transit system. This tragic incident sparked widespread outrage, discussions about public safety and transit security, as well as debates on failures in the criminal justice and mental health systems.
