The family of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on Tuesday called for justice and broader changes to public safety after she was fatally stabbed on a Charlotte light rail train last month.
In a statement released by the family's lawyers and obtained by WSOC‑9, relatives said they were “heartbroken beyond words” and demanded that prosecutors lock up the man identified in connection with the killing. The statement also urged the public and media not to repost graphic footage of the attack and called for attention to what the family described as systemic failures in the city's public-safety systems.
Authorities have identified Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, as the suspect in the slaying. Video widely circulated after the incident shows a violent, unprovoked attack on a light rail train operated by Charlotte Area Transit System. The family's statement described the killing as senseless and random and urged officials to address failures that they say allowed the attack to occur.
“No family should have to go through this,” the statement said. Zarutska, who had come to the United States from Ukraine seeking safety, was killed in the incident, which has prompted local outcry and attention to transit security in Charlotte.
Police and prosecutors have not released a full public account of charging decisions or the status of any ongoing investigation beyond identifying the suspect and confirming that video exists of the attack. City transit officials said the incident occurred on a CATS train, and the agency has cooperated with investigators, according to statements made after the attack.
The family asked for privacy as they grieve and for the public to respect Zarutska’s dignity by refraining from sharing the graphic footage of the killing. Lawyers for the family distributed the statement and called on prosecutors to act decisively in response to the case.
Advocates and legal experts say such public pleas often put pressure on local prosecutors and elected officials to review policies governing repeat offenders, mental-health interventions and public-transit safety, though any specific reforms in Charlotte will depend on decisions by city officials and the district attorney’s office.
Investigations into high-profile killings on public transit typically involve review of prior interactions between suspects and the criminal-justice system, but officials did not immediately provide a detailed timeline of Brown Jr.'s past encounters with law enforcement. The family’s statement referred to him as a repeat offender and called that record part of broader systemic problems that they said contributed to the tragedy.
The killing has prompted renewed scrutiny of safety measures on Charlotte’s light rail system and calls for accountability from city leaders. Officials have said they will continue to work with law enforcement as the investigation proceeds.
This is a developing story. Further details, including any charges filed and official responses from prosecutors or city leaders, have not yet been announced.