Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was tragically killed on August 22, 2025, aboard the LYNX Blue Line train in Charlotte, North Carolina. Surveillance footage released by the Charlotte Area Transit System on September 5, 2025, captures the events leading up to and following her fatal stabbing by Decarlos Brown Jr., a 34-year-old man with a history of criminal offenses.
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‎The video, which has been edited to exclude the violent moment of the attack out of respect for Zarutska’s family, shows the chilling sequence of events.
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‎In the footage, Zarutska, dressed in what appears to be a pizzeria work uniform (a black t-shirt and cap), boards the train at 9:46 p.m. and sits in an aisle seat, scrolling on her phone with headphones on. Brown, wearing a red-orange sweatshirt, is already seated behind her at a window.
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‎ For roughly four and a half minutes, there is no interaction between them. Brown initially appears unremarkable, resting his head against the window, but his behavior shifts about a minute before the attack.
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‎ He begins fidgeting, his eyes widen, and he pulls a folding knife from his pocket. At 9:50 p.m., he stands, unfolds the blade, and stabs Zarutska three times, at least once in the throat, before walking away. Zarutska, caught off guard, clutches her neck, collapses, and is pronounced dead on the train.
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‎The video shows Brown pacing calmly through the railcar afterward, blood dripping from him, as passengers begin to notice the aftermath. Some riders move away in fear, while others rush to aid Zarutska, with one attempting CPR and using a shirt to stem her bleeding. Brown exits the train at the next stop around 9:52 p.m., and a folding knife is later recovered near the platform. He was arrested hours later, treated for a hand injury, and charged with first-degree murder.
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