Ukrainian Refugee Stabbed to Death on Charlotte Train, Family Plans US Burial

Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who fled the war in Ukraine, was fatally stabbed on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, by 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr., a repeat violent offender. Surveillance footage captured the brutal, unprovoked attack, which occurred on August 22, showing Brown stabbing Zarutska multiple times as she sat quietly on the train. Zarutska had quickly embraced her new life in the U.S., working at a pizza restaurant and contributing to her community, and her family has decided to bury her in America, stating she loved the country and rejecting the Ukrainian embassy's offer to repatriate her body. Federal prosecutors have charged Brown with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi pledging to seek the maximum penalty. Authorities and family members emphasize the tragedy as a reflection of broader issues related to violent crime and public safety. The case has drawn widespread attention for the senseless loss of a young woman pursuing peace and opportunity in the U.S.