Killing of Iryna ZarutskaCCTV footage showing the prelude and aftermath of the killing
LocationEast/West Boulevard station, Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.Coordinates35°12′43″N 80°51′33″W / 35.211944°N 80.859167°W / 35.211944; -80.859167DateAugust 22, 2025 (2025-08-22) before 10:00 p.m. EDT (UTC−4)Attack typeStabbingVictimIryna ZarutskaChargesFirst-degree murder
The killing of Iryna Zarutska occurred on August 22, 2025, at the East/West Boulevard light rail station on the Lynx Blue Line[1] in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who had fled her country because of the Russian invasion, was fatally stabbed. Her assailant was arrested upon exiting the train and charged with first-degree murder.
The killing drew international coverage for Zarutska's status as a refugee seeking safety in the United States, prompted a public statement from Charlotte mayor Vi Lyles, and 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.[2][3]
BackgroundIryna Zarutska, 23,[4] born in Kyiv, Ukraine,[5] arrived with her family in the United States in 2022, fleeing the ongoing war following Russia's invasion of her home country. According to a GoFundMe page created by her family, Zarutska had settled in Charlotte, North Carolina.[2][6][7]
The 34-year-old suspect[8] who was fare-jumping at the time of the killing,[9] had been previously arrested multiple times and convicted of robbery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering, and larceny, as well as being charged with assault and misuse of the 911 system.[10]
Killing CCTV footage showing Zarutska boarding the train and her killer after stabbing her.On August 22, 2025, Zarutska was at a light rail station in Charlotte's South End neighborhood. Surveillance footage shows Zarutska boarding the train and sitting in front of the perpetrator. No security personnel were present in the train car, though there were officers on board the train one car ahead.[11][12] Four minutes later, the perpetrator pulled a pocket knife from his hoodie and stabbed Zarutska three times, including at least once in the neck.[13][14]
The suspect exited the train two minutes later, and was arrested by police on the platform for the murder.[8][11][14] Zarutska was pronounced dead at the scene.[15][16] The suspect was transported for treatment following his arrest, and was charged with first-degree murder.[2][17]
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) has not disclosed the motive for the attack. The investigation remains ongoing, with CMPD's homicide unit encouraging the public to provide any relevant information.[2]
AftermathThe fatal stabbing raised concerns about the safety of Charlotte's Lynx Blue Line. Councilman Edwin Peacock stressed fragile public trust and urged Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and CMPD to review security. CATS confirmed the train operator followed protocol, holding the train until police arrived.[11] On September 5, 2025, CATS released surveillance video of the stabbing.[14][18]
On September 6, 2025, local Charlotte TV channel WBTV quoted the authorities saying that the suspect "did not he a ticket to ride the train".[9] He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder for stabbing Zarutska to death.[2]
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.[19] The Charlotte Area Transit System said it would seek to increase fare inspections, install new ticket validators, and expand security staffing on trains and platforms.[20] Mayor Vi Lyles called the killing "senseless and tragic" and urged respect for the victim's family as the investigation continued.[21] Multiple Charlotte City Council officials and candidates in the 2025 Charlotte mayoral election called for greater action to ensure safety on public transit.[22] Dimple Ajmera, a member of the 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.[23]
The killing garnered national attention in the United States, particularly from right-wing political commentators, and was described by The Charlotte Observer as hing become "politicized".[24][25] Conservative commentators accused mainstream media of not covering the Charlotte killing, which involved a white victim and a black suspect, with the same intensity as they did in the Jordan Neely case where the situation was opposite.[26]
US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy publicly blamed Charlotte city officials for the murder, and businessman Elon Musk criticized judges and district attorneys for allowing "criminals to roam free."[24] Asked about the case by a reporter on Sunday, September 7, U.S. president Donald Trump called it "horrible", but said that he had not heard about it previously and would know "all about it" the following morning.[27] A Trump adviser told Axios that this is going to be an issue he is going to highlight.[26]
The case also received international coverage, including in Ukraine, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stating it was "in constant contact" with investigators.[28][29] In the United Kingdom, The Times noted that the case had "fuelled a debate about crime rates in the United States",[30] while The Daily Telegraph noted the case "has triggered uproar over crime in the US".[31]
A GoFundMe crowd funding page that was opened for the suspect was closed by the company, after triggering public outrage.[32][33]
A judge ordered the suspect to be evaluated for 60 days at a local hospital.[34]
References ^ Blanes, Simone. "Assassinato chocante de refugiada ucraniana em trem revolta EUA". Veja (magazine) (in Portuguese). Retrieved September 7, 2025. ^ a b c d e Lee, Hank; Pierre, Jesse; King, Anna (September 5, 2025). "CATS releases surveillance video of deadly light rail stabbing". wcnc.com. North Carolina: WCNC-TV. Archived from the original on September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025. ^ "У США вбили 23-річну українку Ірину Заруцьку: що відомо". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). August 26, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025. ^ "Obituary gives more details about light rail stabbing victim". WFAE. August 28, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025. ^ "Iryna Zarutska's Obituary, Visitation & Funeral Information". James Funeral Home. Retrieved September 8, 2025. ^ Warrick, Michael (August 25, 2025). "Woman killed in Charlotte light rail stabbing recently fled from Ukraine, loved ones say". WBTV. Retrieved September 6, 2025. ^ Keane, Isabel (August 27, 2025). "Woman who fled Ukraine to escape war stabbed to death in North Carolina train station". The Independent. Retrieved September 6, 2025. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Lee, Hank. "'Senseless and tragic': Charlotte mayor issues statement on deadly CATS stabbing". WBTV. North Carolina. Archived from the original on September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025. ^ Ablon, Matthew; Puente, Nathaniel (August 24, 2025). "Suspect arrested after deadly stabbing in South End". WCNC Charlotte. North Carolina: WCNC-TV. Archived from the original on September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025. ^ a b c Gray, Daniel; Charlotte, Jordan Kudisch. "Graphic Content Warning: CATS releases video of deadly light rail stabbing". Spectrum News 1. Retrieved September 6, 2025. ^ Córdova, Maricielo Grados (September 6, 2025). "Una joven ucraniana refugiada en EEUU fue brutalmente asesinada en un tren de Charlotte". Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved September 7, 2025. ^ {{cite web | title=Ukrainian refugee, 23, stabbed to death on US train in 'random attack' | website=The Indian Express | date=2025-09-07 | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/world/ukraine-refugee-us-north-carolina-train-stabbing-police-cctv-video-10235057/ | access-date=2025-09-07> ^ a b c Bruno, Joe (September 6, 2025). "CATS releases video of deadly random stabbing on light rail". WSOC TV. North Carolina: WSOC-TV. Archived from the original on September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025. ^ Nieves, Alicia (September 7, 2025). "Ukrainian refugee killed in random stabbing on North Carolina train". NewsNation. Retrieved September 7, 2025. ^ 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. ^ "Case Update: Homicide Investigation in the Central Division". Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Retrieved September 6, 2025. ^ Serdyuk, Kateryna (September 6, 2025). "Вбивство українки у США: з'явилися кадри з місця злочину". ТСН.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved September 6, 2025. ^ Sands, Alexandria (September 4, 2025). "Mecklenburg's DA acknowledges criminal justice system gaps following light rail killing". Axios Charlotte. Retrieved September 7, 2025. ^ Warrick, Michael (September 3, 2025). "Charlotte light rail ticket enforcement expected to increase after stabbing". WBTV. Retrieved September 7, 2025. ^ Lee, Hank. "'Senseless and tragic': Charlotte mayor issues statement on deadly CATS stabbing". wbtv.com. Retrieved September 6, 2025. ^ Ramsey, Mary (September 3, 2025). "Crime takes focus in Charlotte mayoral race after South End light rail stabbing". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 7, 2025. ^ Portillo, Ely (August 26, 2025). "Charlotte City Council members want answers on light rail crime, safety". WFAE. ^ a b Muccigrosso, Catherine; Bergeron, Josh (September 7, 2025). "Deadly light rail stabbing in Charlotte grows political under national spotlight". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 7, 2025. ^ Song, Vivian; Crilly, Rob (September 7, 2025). "Ukrainian, 23, stabbed to death on train in US after fleeing war". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025. ^ a b Caputo, Marc (September 8, 2025). "Grisly Charlotte stabbing video fuels MAGA's crime message". Axios. Retrieved September 8, 2025. ^ Puente, Nathaniel (September 7, 2025). "President Trump asked about deadly Charlotte CATS stabbing | 'I'll know about it by tomorrow'". wcnc.com. Retrieved September 8, 2025. ^ "Ukraine's Foreign Ministry comments on fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee in US". Ukrainska Prda. August 27, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025. ^ Bandouil, Sonya (September 7, 2025). "Ukrainian refugee stabbed to death in North Carolina, suspect charged with murder". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved September 7, 2025. ^ Thurston, Joshua (September 8, 2025). "Murder of Ukrainian refugee in US ignites row over race". The Times. Archived from the original on September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025. ^ Song, Vivian; Crilly, Rob (September 7, 2025). "Ukrainian, 23, stabbed to death on train in US after fleeing war". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved September 8, 2025. ^ King, Jordan (September 8, 2025). "GoFundMe responds to Decarlos Brown Jr. fundraisers". Newsweek. Retrieved September 8, 2025. ^ "'Horrific': Massive outrage over fundraiser for ex-con Decarlos Brown Jr, GoFundMe takes down pages". The Times of India. September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025. ^ Yan, Holly; Smart, Sara; Gallagher, Dianne; Blackman, Mia (September 8, 2025). 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