(Headline USA) A Democratic mayor secured a comfortable win in a primary election despite days of intense backlash following the deadly stabbing of a young Ukrainian woman on a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mayor Vi Lyles is seeking a fifth term but is coming under criticism after images of the attack sparked widespread outrage from the nation. Many observers say the killing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska shows how Democrats are too soft on people with criminal records. Democrats who challenged her in the primary also said the mayor’s response has been insufficient.
The stabber, homeless schizophrenic man DeCarlos Brown Jr., had a slew of prior convictions. His most recent arrest came in January for misusing 911, and a judge let him remain out of jail with no bail.
Despite the attack and its fallout, Lyles remains the front-runner for reelection. She will take on Republican Terrie Donovan, a real estate agent who faced no primary opposition in the heavily Democratic city.
Donovan released a statement on the case.
“This tragedy must serve as a wake up call for all of us to demand better from our elected officials,” Donovan said in a statement.
Headline USA was the first to obtain and publish the full video of the deadly train stabbing.
The footage shows what’s described in a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department affidavit: Brown, totally unprovoked, stabbed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska three times. He cut his own hand in the process before walking off. Bystanders didn’t react at first, but soon rushed to Zarutska’s side as her life slipped away.
Brown was arrested shortly thereafter. Judge Roy Wiggins signed an order Friday to send Brown to Central Regional Hospital – Butner Campus for 60 days to “determine the defendant’s capacity to proceed.” Judge Wiggins’s order is heavily redacted, making his reasoning for the move unclear.
The DOJ announced federal charges against Brown on Tuesday.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
