Light Rail shooting victim’s father speaks about violence ahead of City Council safety meeting

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte City leaders are sitting down to discuss plans that could make public transportation safer.

A push for change sparked after the deadly stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on the light rail. Monday, the city council will hold a special meeting to discuss the safety and security of the CATS transit system.

The city is hoping to expand the security enforcement zones to create a safer space in the areas around transit services. Monday’s city council meeting will look to take up a measure that would allow private security to cover territory around the transit center and down the rail trail.

The private security firm, Professional Police Service, would be authorized to enforce federal, state and local laws. And be allowed to make arrests and issue citations.

One man told Channel 9’s Eli Brand that violence on the light rail is something he is all too familiar with. Claude Wright’s son was shot multiple times while riding the Blue Line in May of last year.

“They called me and told me that my son had bullets in him,” Wright said. “The first thing I was thinking was that he is dead.”

His son survived but was left with severe injuries.

He uses a walker to get around and is now living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, according to his father.

Wright said people need to be aware of their surroundings while on public transit.

“We have to realize that sometimes your family can be affected by something that you don’t want to be affected by,” he said.

He told Brand that he has been calling for better security on CATS services since his son was hurt.

“Most of the time when activity is going on on the train, it is mostly at night,” Wright said. “Nobody is around and criminal minds think they can get away with it.”

He said he is heartbroken that not enough changes were made after his son was shot to prevent the death of Iryna Zarutska.

Now, Wright said all he can do is use his voice to try and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“Every family wants to see their loved ones be safe when they’re out and about, even though they don’t know their whereabouts,” he said. “I would like to see more safety, I would like to be more safe, especially when I go Uptown, it’s ridiculous.”

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