On August 22, 2025, Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death on Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line light rail. Surveillance footage shows 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. rise suddenly, pull a pocketknife, and attack without provocation. Zarutska, who fled Kyiv in 2022 seeking safety, was killed instantly.

Brown had more than a decade of violent arrests and untreated psychosis, yet was repeatedly released. Judges, prosecutors, and mental health officials missed every warning. National media outlets have largely ignored the case, raising troubling questions about systemic neglect and selective reporting.