Family receives outpouring of support after Iryna Zarutska’s death

The family of Iryna Zarutska is receiving an outpouring of support from strangers worldwide after the federal indictment of Decarlos Brown for her murder.

Iryna was killed in an unprovoked attack on the light rail in South End two months ago, prompting national attention on public transit safety in Charlotte.

Since her death, state laws have been passed, and security measures have been implemented to address these concerns.

“The family believes in the justice system, and that’s what Iryna would have wanted, and we hope that the community continues to keep her memory alive,” said Lauren Newton, the attorney representing Iryna’s family.

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Newton emphasized the community’s role in addressing public safety, stating, “We’ve seen everyone stepping up as a citizen of this community. We’ve seen folks stepping up to shed light on public safety, we see our legislature trying to also address the problem, to help ease the burden of criminal prosecutions within the DA’s office. So I think what we see is our community coming together.”

At the light rail stop where Iryna was killed, a memorial with flowers, photos, and candles honors her memory.

In response to the incident, CATS leaders have approved measures to address fare evasion, noting that Iryna’s accused killer did not have a ticket to be on the train. The crackdown will include fully staffing security by the end of the year, establishing a fare zone around the uptown transit center, and reducing or eliminating fare evasion.

The suspect in Iryna’s killing, Decarlos Brown, is still held in custody on state and federal charges.

(VIDEO: Officer-involved shooting linked to northwest Charlotte shooting scene)