The murder of a Ukrainian refugee on a public train in North Carolina has led to political furore over “failed soft-on-crime policies” in the U.S.
A video of the vicious and unprovoked stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska at the hands of ex-convict Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 34, was released by the transit authority Friday and has been shared widely on social media.
According to an
using the surveillance footage from the Charlotte Area Transit System, on Aug. 22, Zarutska boarded the train around 9:45 p.m. and sat in a row near the back in front of Brown, who is seen wearing an orange hooded sweater.
About four minutes later, as Zarutska scrolls on her phone with AirPods in her ears, the man pulls a knife from his pocket, unfolds it, stands and proceeds to stab her in the neck three times from behind.
“Following the attack, suspected blood can be seen dripping onto the floor as BROWN walked away from the victim,” the FBI Agent Cameron Winchester’s signed affidavit reads.
released since shows the moments after the stabbing as an injured and frightened Zarutska doesn’t seem to realize the extent of her injuries. People around her also don’t seem to fully realize the magnitude of what just occurred and none immediately offer her assistance.
U.S. Donald Trump laid blame on the accused and the state’s democratic government.
( @realDonaldTrump – Truth Social Post )
( Donald J. Trump – Sep 08, 2025, 4:11 PM ET )I have seen the horrific video of a beautiful, young Ukrainian refugee, who came to America to escape the vicious War in Ukraine, and was innocently riding the Metro in Charlotte, North… pic.twitter.com/amLf4B1VY1
— Fan Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 TRUTH POSTS (@TruthTrumpPosts) September 8, 2025
“The blood of this innocent woman can literally be seen dripping from the killer’s knife, and now her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail,”
, naming former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper, who is currently seeking re-election as a state senator.
“North Carolina, and every State, needs LAW AND ORDER, and only Republicans will deliver it!”
On Tuesday, as
from the Oval Office about the murder,
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said
the woman’s death was a result of “failed soft-on-crime policies” and promised that Brown, “a repeat violent offender,” would face federal criminal charges.
“We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man,” she stated.
FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency acted swiftly to assist in ensuring Brown “is never released from jail to kill again.”
According to the affidavit, police arrived not long after and found Zarutska dead inside the railcar, “next to a large amount of blood.” They located and arrested Brown on a nearby platform and recovered the suspected murder weapon covered in blood.
In addition to his federal charge of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, Brown is also charged with first-degree murder at the state level. A conviction for first-degree murder in North Carolina can result in either a life sentence or death by lethal injection, however, none of the latter have occurred since 2006 following a moratorium. As of Sept. 10, the state counts 122 offenders on its
As reported by
and multiple news media outlets, Brown has a lengthy criminal history in the state with 14 cases on record, including a five-year sentence for robbery with a dangerous weapon. Other offences include breaking and entering, speeding and shoplifting.
In January, he was charged with misuse of 911, but was released on a promise to attend his next hearing.
“What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets,” Trump asked on X, calling Brown “a mentally deranged lunatic.”
A GoFundMe benefitting Zarutska’s family in the U.S. said the newcomer came the country “seeking safety from the war and hoping for a new beginning.”
As of Wednesday morning, the fundraiser has reached over US$235,000 with a goal of $280,000.
A spokesperson told local TV station
that she had just texted her boyfriend to say she would be home soon. Concerned when she didn’t arrive, they used her phone’s location to learn it was still at the train station. When they arrived there, they found out she was dead.
At the time of her death, Zarutska had just left her job at Zepeddie’s Pizzeria, where she worked part-time while also attending college to improve her English.
“We lost not only an incredible employee, but a true friend. Our dear Iryna left this world far too soon, and our hearts are heavy with grief,” the pizzeria posted on
.
“Since her passing, we have kept a candle burning in her memory — a small reminder of the warmth, kindness, and light she brought into our lives every single day.”
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