It is the kind of tragedy that sticks in your throat. You’ve probably seen the headlines or caught a glimpse of the grainy surveillance footage circulating on X (formerly Twitter). A young woman, barely 23, sitting quietly on a light rail train, only to be ambushed from behind. The internet is currently flooded with searches for the ukrainian girl stabbed on train full video, but behind the viral morbid curiosity lies a story that is much more complicated—and frankly, much more infuriating—than a simple "random act of violence."
Her name was Iryna Zarutska. She didn't die in a war zone in Kyiv or Mariupol, though she survived plenty of those. She died on a Monday night in August 2025, riding the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Footage vs. The Reality
The video is hard to watch. Truly. Most people searching for the full clip are looking for answers that a 30-second surveillance loop can't provide. In the footage, Iryna is just... there. She’s wearing her uniform from Zepeddie’s Pizzeria, where she worked. She’s on her phone, likely texting her boyfriend to say she’s on her way home.
Directly behind her sits 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr.
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There was no argument. No "interaction" in the way we usually think of it. Brown just stands up, pulls out a pocketknife, and slashes her in the neck. It happened at 9:50 p.m. near the East/West Boulevard station.
What the ukrainian girl stabbed on train full video shows is a failure of multiple systems. It shows four other passengers sitting nearby who initially freeze—who wouldn't?—before the chaos erupts. It shows Iryna trying to cover her wound, cowering in terror, before collapsing about 15 seconds later. It’s brutal, and honestly, the family has begged people to stop sharing it.
Who was Iryna Zarutska?
Iryna wasn't just a "refugee" or a "victim." She was a restoration artist. She had a diploma in art from Synergy College in Kyiv. When the invasion started, she spent weeks in a bomb shelter before her family managed to get her to the United States in August 2022.
She wanted to be a veterinary assistant. She was taking English classes at a community college. By all accounts, she was the "light" of her family, a girl who had finally found the "safe life" she was looking for. To have that life ended on a commuter train in North Carolina is a irony that most people can't wrap their heads around.
The Suspect and the "System Failure"
This is where the story gets messy. Decarlos Brown Jr. wasn't a ghost. He was a man the system knew very well.
He had a rap sheet "longer than a CVS receipt," as U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy put it. We’re talking 14 prior cases in Mecklenburg County alone. Robbery with a dangerous weapon. Larceny. Breaking and entering.
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- Mental Health: Brown’s mother had tried to get him involuntarily committed earlier in 2025. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
- The 911 Calls: Earlier that year, he was arrested for repeatedly calling 911 from a hospital because he believed "man-made material" was controlling his body.
- The Attack Day: On the day of the stabbing, Brown spent hours riding the Blue Line. Security saw him. He didn't even have a ticket. But because of "fare enforcement" policies and a lack of active intervention, he stayed on that train until he crossed paths with Iryna.
Why this incident went global
The ukrainian girl stabbed on train full video didn't just stay in local news. It became a flashpoint for international politics. President Donald Trump and North Carolina Governor Josh Stein both weighed in. It sparked "Iryna’s Law" (House Bill 307) in North Carolina, which aims to reform criminal law and potentially resume capital punishment in the state.
People are angry. They aren't just angry at the man with the knife; they are angry that a man with 14 prior arrests and a diagnosed, violent mental health history was sitting on a public train with a weapon at 10 p.m.
Misconceptions about the Germany Incident
If you are searching for this, you might also see reports about a 16-year-old girl named Liana. This is a separate, equally tragic event that happened in Friedland, Germany, around the same time.
Liana was pushed in front of a freight train by a 31-year-old man who also had a history of paranoid schizophrenia and was supposed to be deported. The two stories often get blurred together because both victims were young Ukrainian refugees killed on public transit by men with known psychiatric issues.
In Liana’s case, she was on the phone with her grandfather when it happened. He had to listen to her screams followed by the sound of the train. It's haunting.
What happens now?
Federal prosecutors have stepped in for Iryna’s case. Decarlos Brown Jr. is facing federal charges for "violence against mass transportation systems," which carries the death penalty.
But for the people living in Charlotte, the focus is on the Lynx Blue Line. There’s been a massive push for:
- Increased Security: Putting more officers on the cars, not just on the platforms.
- Fare Enforcement: Using ticket checks as a way to filter out people who shouldn't be on the system.
- Mental Health Reform: Fixing the "revolving door" where people are arrested, diagnosed, and then released back onto the street without treatment.
If you’re looking for the ukrainian girl stabbed on train full video, maybe consider looking at the GoFundMe for her funeral or the advocacy groups pushing for transit safety instead. Seeing the video doesn't give you the full story of who Iryna was, but understanding the systemic failures might help prevent the next one.
Actionable Next Steps
If you use public transit, stay vigilant by sitting near the conductor's booth or in well-lit, populated cars. You can also support local transit safety initiatives or contribute to the Iryna Zarutska memorial fund to assist her family with legal and funeral expenses. Stay informed on the progress of "Iryna's Law" to see how North Carolina's criminal justice reforms are being implemented.