Iryna Zarutska was a young Ukrainian refugee tragically stabbed and killed on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 22, 2025, by DeCarlos Brown Jr., a man with a prior criminal record and mental health issues, sparking national outrage, debate on criminal justice, and leading to North Carolina passing “Iryna’s Law” (HB 307) for legal reform and renewed focus on the death penalty. Her story became a rallying cry for crime reform, highlighting gaps in the justice system and transit security.
Key Details:
- Victim: Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee.
- Date of Incident: August 22, 2025.
- Location: East/West Boulevard station light rail in Charlotte, NC.
- Perpetrator: DeCarlos Brown Jr., who was released from custody shortly before the attack despite a lengthy criminal history.
- Circumstances: Zarutska was brutally stabbed on the train; the attack was captured on video.
- Aftermath:
- Intense media coverage and political reaction, including calls for the death penalty.
- North Carolina Governor Josh Stein signed “Iryna’s Law” (HB 307) to reform criminal justice, making capital punishment easier to pursue.
- Discussions on transit safety, mental health, and criminal justice system failures intensified.
- Legacy: A new butterfly species, Celastrina iryna, was named in her honor.
12/6/2025 –
A North Carolina man was brutally stabbed on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, just months after an eerily similar attack took the life of a Ukrainian refugee.
The victim was riding Charlotte’s blue light rail line when the attack occurred, just like Iryna Zarutska had been when she was stabbed to death in August.
He was found near the train station with a stab wound just before 5pm on December 5.