It was just another Friday night in late August. August 22, 2025, to be exact. Iryna Zarutska was headed home from work at Zepeddie’s Pizzeria in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was 23 years old. She was wearing her uniform. She was likely thinking about getting home to her boyfriend, whom she had just texted to say she’d be back soon.
She never made it.
The story of the Ukrainian woman killed on train tracks and light rails across the world is often one of seeking safety and finding the exact opposite. For Iryna, it was a random, brutal stabbing on the Lynx Blue Line that turned her into a face of a massive national debate on mental health and transit safety. Honestly, when you look at the details, it’s just gut-wrenching. She fled the actual war in Ukraine—survived the bombings in Kyiv—only to die on a quiet commuter train in the American South.
Basically, it was the kind of tragedy that makes you look over your shoulder the next time you board a subway.
The Timeline of the Lynx Blue Line Attack
Iryna boarded the train at the Scaleybark station around 9:46 PM. Surveillance footage from the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) shows her sitting down, totally unaware. Behind her sat Decarlos Brown Jr., a 34-year-old man who had been riding the rails for hours.
Police say he was acting strange. Laughing to himself. Making odd movements.
About four minutes after Iryna sat down, Brown pulled a folding pocketknife from his hoodie. He didn't say a word. He didn't rob her. He just stood up and stabbed her three times from behind. One of those wounds hit her neck.
📖 Related: Trump New Gun Laws: What Most People Get Wrong
It’s the kind of violence that's hard to wrap your head around. There was no argument. No "interaction" at all, according to the FBI affidavit. Iryna remained conscious for nearly a minute, bleeding out on the floor while other passengers eventually rushed to help. One man even took off his shirt to try and stop the bleeding. But it was too late. She was pronounced dead right there at the East/West Boulevard station.
Who Was Iryna Zarutska?
Iryna wasn't just a headline. She was a daughter and a sister. She was a graduate of Synergy College in Kyiv with a degree in art and restoration. People who knew her said she had a "heart of gold."
- Arrival in the US: She moved to Charlotte in August 2022 with her mother, sister, and brother.
- Her Dreams: She was taking English classes at a community college and dreamed of becoming a veterinary assistant.
- Her Art: She used her restoration skills to make gifts for her family, trying to build a peaceful life after leaving a war zone.
At the pizzeria where she worked, the staff kept a candle lit for weeks. They described her as a true friend, not just a coworker. It’s kinda surreal to think someone survives the Russian invasion of Ukraine only to be killed in a city where they thought they were safe.
The Controversy Surrounding Decarlos Brown Jr.
This is where things get messy and, frankly, frustrating. Decarlos Brown Jr. wasn't a stranger to the system. He had a criminal record that people like Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described as "longer than a CVS receipt."
He had 14 prior cases in Mecklenburg County alone. We’re talking robbery with a dangerous weapon, larceny, and breaking and entering. He’d spent five years in prison. But more than the crimes, it was the mental health aspect that sparked the most outrage.
Brown’s mother had tried to get him help. She had sought an involuntary psychiatric commitment earlier that year because he was becoming violent. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Yet, there he was, riding a train without a ticket, carrying a knife, and apparently "laughing to himself" for hours while security guards passed him by without a second glance.
👉 See also: Why Every Tornado Warning MN Now Live Alert Demands Your Immediate Attention
Why was he on the train?
That's the question everyone is asking. Authorities admitted he didn't even have a ticket. He had been on the Lynx Blue Line since roughly 8:00 PM. At 8:18 PM, two CATS security officials walked right past him. They didn't stop him.
Later, after his arrest, Brown’s sister reportedly told investigators he believed Iryna was "reading his mind." This specific detail highlights a massive gap in how we handle severe mental illness in the public square.
Broader Safety Concerns and Global Parallels
The Ukrainian woman killed on train searches often bring up other tragic incidents that seem to follow a hauntingly similar pattern of refugees fleeing war only to face violence elsewhere.
Take the case of Liana, a 16-year-old Ukrainian girl in Friedland, Germany. In August 2025—the same month Iryna was killed—Liana was pushed under a freight train. The suspect there was an Iraqi national with a history of paranoid schizophrenia who was supposed to be deported but remained in the country.
Then there’s the case of Marina Placensia, whose husband was finally convicted in December 2025 for killing her on an Amtrak train years prior. While the circumstances are different, the common thread is the vulnerability of women in transit spaces.
What’s Being Done Now?
The fallout in Charlotte has been intense. People are scared. Ridership on the Blue Line dropped by 10% in the month following the stabbing.
✨ Don't miss: Brian Walshe Trial Date: What Really Happened with the Verdict
- Increased Security: CATS has expanded the scope of its private security contractors to include not just the trains, but the sidewalks and transit centers.
- Fare Enforcement: They’re finally getting serious about ticket validation to keep people who shouldn't be there off the platforms.
- Federal Charges: Because the attack happened on a mass transit system, Brown is facing federal charges that could actually lead to the death penalty.
Mayor Vi Lyles called it a "tragic failure of the courts and magistrates." Honestly, she’s right. When someone has a dozen-plus arrests and a diagnosed, violent mental health crisis, and they’re still wandering a light rail with a weapon, the system hasn't just slipped up—it's completely broken.
Actionable Steps for Transit Safety
If you're a regular commuter, you can't live in fear, but you can be smart. Safety isn't just about police presence; it's about situational awareness.
- Trust Your Gut: If someone is making "unusual movements" or talking to themselves aggressively, move to a different car. Don't worry about being rude.
- Positioning Matters: Try to sit in the lead car near the operator or in areas with higher foot traffic. Iryna was in a car with other people, but the attacker was directly behind her in a blind spot.
- Know the Emergency Features: Every train has an emergency intercom or a silent alarm. Know where they are before you need them.
- Report Loitering: If you see someone who appears to be in a mental health crisis or is clearly not using the transit for travel, report it to the transit app or a platform officer.
The reality is that Iryna Zarutska did everything right. She was just going home. Her death serves as a brutal reminder that public safety requires more than just "thoughts and prayers"—it requires a functional mental health system and a transit authority that actually enforces its own rules.
We owe it to her memory to make sure "safe passage" actually means something.
Next Steps for Readers:
- Support the Family: There is a GoFundMe set up for Iryna's family to help with funeral costs and legal fees.
- Contact Local Officials: If you use public transit, email your city council about increasing the presence of mental health crisis teams on platforms rather than just standard security.
- Stay Informed: Follow the federal court proceedings for Decarlos Brown Jr. to see how the justice system handles the intersection of violent crime and psychiatric history in 2026.