Charlotte Light Rail Stabbing Kills Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska

The release of 911 audio and surveillance video captured the immediate aftermath of the brutal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train, highlighting the chaos and horror as bystanders and officials responded. Witnesses described Zarutska as severely bleeding and possibly without a pulse, while others attempted to apply pressure to her wounds before she was pronounced dead at the scene. The attacker, DeCarlos Brown Jr., who has a history of mental illness and numerous prior arrests, was seen on video stabbing Zarutska multiple times in the neck before fleeing the train. Brown was arrested shortly after and federally charged with causing death on a mass transportation system. The incident has sparked national outrage and criticism of local officials for failing to manage Brown's mental health and criminal record effectively, with President Donald Trump advocating for the death penalty if Brown is convicted. Zarutska had fled Ukraine to escape the war and was planning to attend veterinary school, making the senseless attack all the more tragic.