(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A horrific video showing a Ukrainian refugee stabbed to death by an unhinged attacker sparked outrage across social media, garnering millions of views.
Authorities have identified the attacker as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., who fatally stabbed 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska just minutes after she boarded a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Aug. 22.
Zarutska calmly boarded the train, using her phone and wearing AirPods. Brown sat behind her. Unbeknownst to her, he reportedly stood up, pulled out a folding knife and fatally stabbed her.
Seconds later, Brown wandered through the train, his hand dripping with blood. Some passengers noticed the blood, yet no one rushed to help Zarutska.
She succumbed to her injuries and was later pronounced dead on the train.
Warning: Graphic footage below.
She fled the war, only to be killed in the United States.
Twenty-three-year-old Ukrainian Irina Zarutska was fatally stabbed in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The attacker was a 34-year-old man named Decarlos Brown Jr., who has since been detained. pic.twitter.com/bsRktu6NxC— Marta Havryshko (@HavryshkoMarta) September 6, 2025
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department confirmed that Brown was apprehended on Aug. 23 but hospitalized for an injury sustained during the attack.
He will face charges of first degree murder upon his release.
“Ms. Zarutska’s next of kin has been notified of her death and of this case update. The investigation into this case is active and ongoing,” CMPD wrote.
Brown had a lengthy rap sheet, having been arrested for larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and communicating threats, according to multiple reports.
He previously served five years for a robbery with a deadly weapon charge, according to WSOC-TV. Multiple alleged mugshots of Brown have circulated on X.
This guy should have been executed a long time ago and the judges that kept putting him back on the street should all be in jail https://t.co/4U1DeUhAzx pic.twitter.com/BETVsSAeaI
— Josh Rainer (@JoshRainerGold) September 6, 2025
Zarutska had only recently arrived in the U.S., fleeing war-torn Ukraine, according to a GoFundMe set up by a family friend. The fundraiser has already raised over $40,000.
“This is an irreparable loss for her family. We have created this fundraiser to support Valeria and her loved ones during this heartbreaking time and to help them with the unexpected expenses,” the GoFundMe stated. “Any support you can give — whether through a donation or simply by sharing this page — will mean so much to the family.”
This is a developing story.
