The attack has sparked outrage over public safety and criminal justice policies, while Zarutska’s family and the community mourn the loss of a young woman who came to the U.S. seeking safety.

The final moments of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska were filled with fear and horror as she was brutally stabbed to death aboard a Charlotte light rail train on August 22, 2025.

Newly released surveillance footage has shed devastating light on the attack, showing Zarutska cowering in her seat and shielding her face

with her hands as her assailant — identified as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., a homeless career criminal with a lengthy rap sheet — pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed her repeatedly in an unprovoked assault that has shocked the nation.

Zarutska, who had fled to the United States in 2022 to escape the Russian invasion of her homeland, boarded the Lynx Blue Line train in Charlotte on what should have been a routine ride.

Instead, she became the victim of a vicious killing that passengers say unfolded in just seconds. According to investigators, Brown had been watching her from a nearby seat for several minutes before he launched his attack.

The disturbing surveillance video shows Zarutska’s body language shifting from unease to outright terror. As Brown lunged at her with a small blade, she pulled her knees up toward her chest, desperately trying to shield herself.

Her legs, moments later, were visibly spattered with blood. She covered her face with trembling hands as Brown struck multiple times. Just 15 seconds later, she collapsed to the floor of the train car.

One male passenger’s chilling remark, captured on audio, underscored the brutality of the moment. “He got that white girl,” the voice said, while others looked on in shock.

For several agonizing seconds, no one intervened. Some passengers froze, staring in horror, while others turned away. One man in a gray hoodie eventually rose and followed Brown down the aisle as he walked away from the dying victim, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

Another passenger in red looked briefly toward Zarutska but turned back to the window, seemingly unable to process what had just occurred.

Brown, who has at least 14 prior arrests and 13 convictions ranging from armed robbery to assault, discarded his hoodie as he exited the train. He was quickly apprehended by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers who had been alerted by passengers and the train operator.

Despite the initial hesitation from some on board, several individuals ultimately rushed to aid Zarutska. Witnesses reported that one man removed his shirt to press against her wounds, while others attempted CPR until emergency responders arrived.

“They did everything they could to keep her alive,” one passenger later told local reporters. Sadly, Zarutska succumbed to her injuries before she could be saved.

On Monday, the FBI announced federal charges against Brown, adding to the state murder charge he already faces.

The federal indictment accuses him of committing an act resulting in death on a mass transportation system — a charge that carries the possibility of the death penalty.

FBI Director Kash Patel called the killing “a disgraceful act that should never happen in America,” promising that federal authorities would ensure Brown is never free to harm another person again.

“Everyone in this country deserves to go to work, to school, or just across town without fear of being attacked,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., Special Agent in Charge of FBI Charlotte. “This federal charge is one step toward justice for Iryna and her grieving family.”

The case has ignited fierce debate over criminal justice policies in North Carolina and beyond. Brown, a repeat offender, had been released without bail pending trial on earlier charges. Critics argue that leniency toward violent offenders directly contributed to Zarutska’s death.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose office is overseeing the federal prosecution, did not mince words. “This was a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people,” she said.

“We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man.”

Charlotte’s Mayor Vi Lyles faced backlash for urging compassion for Brown in the wake of the killing, with many residents and national commentators accusing her of downplaying the crime’s brutality.

Former President Donald Trump also weighed in, calling the murder “horrific” and declaring that “horrible killings require horrible actions” in response. The case has become a flashpoint in broader political arguments over crime, immigration, and public safety.

Meanwhile, Zarutska’s short life has been mourned both in Charlotte and abroad. Friends described her as a vibrant, ambitious young woman who dreamed of building a future in the United States after war forced her to flee her home in Ukraine.

Social media photos show her smiling with friends, enjoying life as she tried to rebuild far from the bombs and destruction she had escaped.

“She came here for safety, for a chance to live,” one friend wrote online. “Instead, she was taken from us in a way that is almost too cruel to imagine.”

The brutality of her death has shaken the local community. Vigils have been held in Charlotte, with candles and flowers left at light rail stations in her memory.

Advocacy groups for refugees and victims of violent crime have spoken out, warning that her death highlights systemic failures in both public safety and support for vulnerable newcomers to the U.S.

As the legal process moves forward, Brown faces the possibility of execution if convicted under federal law. For now, he remains in custody, his criminal record and violent history under renewed scrutiny.

Prosecutors insist this time there will be no leniency. “Justice must be delivered, not only for Iryna but for every person who rides our trains, walks our streets, and deserves to live free from fear,” Bondi said.

For Zarutska’s family, who remain in Ukraine and in scattered parts of the diaspora, the pain is immeasurable. Her mother, speaking through a translator, said she had believed her daughter would be safe in America. “I sent her there to live,” she said softly. “Now I will bury her.”

The young woman who once dreamed of safety found only terror in her final moments. And a city, now grappling with grief and anger, waits to see if the justice system will finally hold accountable the man accused of robbing her of the life she had fought so hard to protect.