CHARLOTTE — A deadly stabbing on Charlotte’s light rail on Aug. 22 is drawing state and national attention as President Donald Trump, former Gov. Pat McCrory and Gov. Josh Stein and others weigh in on safety and security concerns.
President Donald Trump spoke about the attack Monday that claimed the life of Iryna Zarutska.
“It’s so horrible ... just viciously stabbed,” Trump said. “She’s just sitting there. I just give my love and hope to the family of the young woman.”
Channel 9’s crime reporter Hunter Sáenz has been in touch with leaders from the Charlotte Area Transit System and the city since the attack.
CATS released surveillance video on Friday from the night of the stabbing.
Channel 9 independently decided not to show the victim or the attack out of respect for the Zarutska family.
Video shows the suspect, Decarlos Brown, in a orange-red hoodie.
Zarutska sat in an empty seat in front of him and 4.5 minutes later, Brown stood up and stabbed her three times.
“She’s just sitting there, so there are evil people,” Trump said. “We have to be able to handle that. If we don’t handle that, we don’t have a country.”
Trump made those remarks Monday morning as the city of Charlotte grapples with what to do next.
Channel 9’s Hunter Sánz spoke with former Republican governor and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory on Monday.
“I take it personally. It’s disturbing,” McCrory said.
He brought the light rail to Charlotte.
“And when we started this 30 years ago, we said the No. 1 priority has to be safety, and I think we lost touch of that,” McCrory said.
He believes the Metropolitan Transit Commission, the board that makes decisions about transit, should be smaller.
He also would like to see fares for the train enforced.
“The minute something is free, it loses value,” he said. “And when something loses value, people mistreat it.”
McCrory said the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department should be the agency securing the light rail, not a contracted security company.
Gov. Josh Stein posted a statement Monday on X that read, in part, “We need more cops on the beat to keep people safe,” noting his proposed budget with would increase funding or more trained officers.
McCrory believes more needs to be done immediately.
“Action should have been taken yesterday,” McCrory said. “We’ve got to express action to ensure we reestablish the confidence that all of the customers must have in our light rail and transit line.”
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Police revealed the suspect’s name the day after the attack and Channel 9 immediately started digging into Brown’s history.
He spent more than five years in prison for robbery with a deadly weapon.
The only charge pending before the murder was misusing the 911 system in January.
Court records detailed concerns about his mental capacity.
His mother said he lives with schizophrenia.
A retired judge said that because there was only a minor crime pending, it would have been unlikely that a judge would have ordered him to get mental health treatment.
CMPD encountered Brown three times in 2024.
They referred him to mental health services but it’s unclear if he ever received them.
CATS banned Brown for life from all transit after the attack.
The week after the attack, Channel 9 questioned CATS leadership on how it could have happened.
“Was there a security failure that night?” Channel 9’s Sáenz asked in an exclusive interview.
“No, no, no,” said Lee Ratliff, assistant chief for Professional Security Services, the company that CATS contracts with to keep the transit system safe.
“On this night, I think that while the outcome is horrific, it’s terrible, the system, the processes, they all functioned as they should have on that night,” said Brent Cagle, interim CEO for CATS. “Now, I think, knowing what we know now, there may have been other opportunities for this, for this person to have got the help they needed, or to, you know, not been where they weren’t at night. But on this night, I believe that processes worked.”
CATS’ security company has 184 security officers working our transit system.
They said they have the money to hire up to 219.
Security leaders told Channel 9 that they’re open to adding even more but that would be a decision the city has to make and fund.
VIDEO: President Trump weighs in on deadly light rail stabbing
Recent statements from state leaders:
Gov. Josh Stein: “I am heartbroken for the family of Iryna Zarutska, who lost their loved one to this senseless act of violence, and I am appalled by the footage of her murder. We need more cops on the beat to keep people safe. That’s why my budget calls for more funding to hire more well-trained police officers. I call upon the legislature to pass my law enforcement recruitment and retention package to address vacancies in our state and local agencies so they can stop these horrific crimes and hold violent criminals accountable.”
N.C. Attorney General Jeff Jackson: “This was an outrageously heinous and vicious act. Iryna was killed while sitting peacefully, an innocent life taken in a shocking and brutal way. We have told the district attorney, who is leading the prosecution, that our office will provide any and all support to deliver justice. We will remain steadfast until that justice is achieved.”
U.S. Attorney for Western District Russ Ferguson: “The incident was a tragedy, and we are looking at every way the federal government can bring justice to Iryna Zarutska and her loved ones. This act of violence affects the confidence of all those who rely on public transportation to commute to work and go about their daily business, and restoring that confidence is our mission.”
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