On Aug. 22, 2025, a young woman riding Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line was brutally stabbed from behind and died at the scene, a chilling reminder that commuters’ safety is not guaranteed in many of our cities anymore. Authorities say 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee trying to build a new life here, was attacked while riding home from work and the suspect, identified as Decarlos Brown Jr., was arrested minutes later.
As more details have come out, it’s clear this was not a one-off tragedy but the predictable result of a revolving-door justice system and failed mental-health interventions. Court records and reporting show the accused has a long history of arrests, documented mental-health problems, and encounters with the criminal-justice system that did not prevent this deadly act.
Federal prosecutors have now added a charge for violence against a mass-transit system on top of the state first-degree murder charge, signaling the seriousness with which the Justice Department is approaching this attack on everyday Americans trying to commute safely. This is exactly the kind of focused federal involvement conservatives argued for when cities turned a blind eye to escalating transit violence.
The victim’s story should make every American’s blood boil: she fled war to find safety and work in this country, only to be cut down on public transit. We must stop pretending these incidents are random tragedies and start calling out the policies and priorities that leave citizens and immigrants alike exposed to violent recidivists.
In the wake of this horror, North Carolina lawmakers moved to tighten rules around dangerous repeat offenders and bail for violent crimes, a reminder that leadership that acts to protect its people works while finger-wagging rhetoric does not. If voters care about practical solutions, they should demand more of elected officials—real funding for police, prompt prosecution, secure transit systems, and mental-health treatment that protects the public.
Hardworking Americans deserve to ride the train without fear, and that demand should translate into votes, not platitudes. It’s time for a renewed commitment to law and order: lock up violent repeat offenders, restore prosecutorial accountability, and rebuild the institutions that keep our neighborhoods safe so no family ever has to bury a loved one who came here seeking refuge and opportunity.
