what happened to the girl on the bus

The girl on the bus, identified as 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, was fatally stabbed in an unprovoked attack on a Charlotte, North Carolina, light rail train on August 22, 2025. The attacker, Decarlos Brown Jr., who was sitting behind her, pulled out a knife without any apparent interaction and stabbed her multiple times. Zarutska was pronounced dead at the scene. The attacker was arrested immediately after the train stopped and faces first-degree murder charges, along with federal charges that could bring the death penalty. The incident has sparked outrage, discussions about transit safety, and critiques of the local judicial system regarding how the suspect was free despite a lengthy criminal history and mental health issues. Zarutska had fled the war in Ukraine seeking a safer life and was described as a gifted artist and animal lover.