GoFundMe said it removed multiple fundraising campaigns created on behalf of Decarlos Brown Jr., the man charged with killing a 23-year-old passenger on a Charlotte light-rail train, citing a long-standing policy that bars legal-defense fundraisers for people formally charged with violent crimes.
"GoFundMe’s Terms of Service explicitly prohibit fundraisers for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with a violent crime," a company spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Consistent with this long-standing policy, all fundraisers for Decarlos Brown Jr.’s legal defense have been removed from the platform, and any donors have been fully refunded." The company said it actively scans for and blocks attempts to launch campaigns on behalf of individuals facing violent charges and removed the pages within hours after they were flagged.
The fundraisers' removal followed widespread criticism on social media, where users called the efforts an "insult" to the victim. Authorities say the victim, Iryna Zarutska, was a Ukrainian refugee who fled the war in 2022 and lived in Charlotte with her family. She worked at a local pizzeria and was remembered by friends and employers as kind-hearted and creative.
Police allege that Zarutska was fatally stabbed three times with a folding knife on Aug. 22 after taking a seat on the Lynx Blue Line. Surveillance video reviewed by authorities shows Zarutska boarding the train shortly after 9:45 p.m. and sitting in front of a man identified in court documents as Decarlos Brown Jr. Four minutes later, the affidavit says, the man produced a knife and began stabbing her, including a wound to the middle of her throat. Zarutska died of her injuries.
Brown was charged with first-degree murder under North Carolina law and is being held without bond. Court records show a criminal history dating back more than a decade, including convictions for larceny and breaking and entering in 2013 and a 2015 conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon, for which he served more than six years in prison. He was released in 2020 and remained on parole until 2021. Authorities also noted more recent charges earlier this year, including communicating threats and misuse of the 911 system.
While GoFundMe removed pages seeking money for Brown's legal defense, a verified fundraiser supporting Zarutska’s family remained active on the platform. The stabbing on public transportation renewed debates over public-safety measures in cities and led to public statements from national figures. Former President Donald Trump referenced the killing during remarks at the Museum of the Bible, saying, "We're all people of religion, but there are evil people," and offering his sympathies to the victim's family.
Zarutska's employer, Zepeddie's Pizza, issued a statement expressing grief and recalling her as an "incredible employee" and "true friend," saying the workplace had kept "a candle burning in her memory." Friends and family described her as a passionate artist who had studied art and restoration and aspired to work with animals.
Fox News Digital reported that the GoFundMe removals occurred after social media users flagged the pages. The company did not specify the exact number of pages removed but emphasized that donors to the removed fundraisers were refunded. GoFundMe did not provide additional comment about any screening or future prevention measures beyond its existing scanning practices.
The case remains under local criminal investigation, and prosecutors will decide whether to bring further charges as authorities continue to review evidence. The fatal attack and the subsequent online fundraising controversy have drawn attention to how crowdfunding platforms handle efforts to raise money for individuals accused of violent crimes and to the broader issue of safety on public transit systems.
