Family of Iryna Zarutska demands justice, calls for transit safety reforms after fatal stabbing on Charlotte light rail

The family of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska released a statement demanding accountability and public safety reforms after she was fatally stabbed on a Charlotte light rail train on December 2024.

According to the family’s statement, shared through their attorney, Zarutska was a “kind and hardworking young woman” who had fled the war in Ukraine, was working at a pizzeria and studying English at a community college in Charlotte. She was traveling home from work when she was killed near the Camden light rail station.

Police say Decarlos Brown Jr. fatally stabbed Zarutska in a random attack. Brown, who law enforcement records show has a history of mental illness and 14 prior arrests over the past 12 years, was arrested shortly after the incident and charged with first-degree murder. The Department of Justice later added a charge of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.

The family said they are “heartbroken beyond words” and asked that Brown remain behind bars. They called the killing “horrific” and said it highlights a broader crisis in public safety.

The statement focused on transit security, urging a full investigation into possible lapses in the Charlotte Area Transit System’s (CATS) safety protocols and oversight of its private security contractor. The family cited a lack of visible or effective security on the Blue Line and the absence of safety measures they believe could have prevented the attack, and called on city officials to publicly address these issues and enact reforms.

The family described how loved ones became alarmed when Zarutska did not arrive home and her phone’s location showed she remained at the station; they say she was found dead at the scene. They also urged the public and media not to repost or circulate the surveillance footage of the killing to protect Zarutska’s dignity and their grief.

Source: foxnews