The city of Charlotte, North Carolina, has found itself at the center of a national outcry over public safety, mental health, and criminal justice reform after two tragic deaths on its transit system in 2025. The fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, and the shooting death of bystander Qualo Daniels, 31, have sparked lawsuits, political debate, and calls for systemic change.
Zarutska’s story, in particular, has resonated far beyond Charlotte. According to ABC News, she arrived in the United States in 2022, fleeing war-torn Ukraine where she had lived in a bomb shelter. Eager to build a new life, she worked at a sandwich shop, an assisted living home, and a local pizzeria. She was taking English classes at a community college and planning to become a veterinary assistant. Her uncle described her as “the glue of the family,” a comforter and confidant who painted murals and cared for neighbors’ pets and children. “She just came on and she took the first seat that was available to her. It would appear she didn’t recognize there was any danger,” her uncle told Good Morning America after viewing the footage of her death.
On the night of August 22, 2025, Zarutska finished work and texted her boyfriend that she would be home soon. She boarded the Blue Lynx Line and sat in an aisle seat, unaware that she was in danger. Within minutes, Decarlos Brown Jr., a 34-year-old man wearing an orange sweatshirt, pulled a knife from his pocket, paused, and stabbed Zarutska three times. She died at the scene. A witness helped police locate Brown, who was arrested that night.
The attack, caught on security video, went viral and ignited a firestorm on social media. Former President Donald Trump weighed in, writing, “The ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine, who came to America searching for peace and safety, should be given a ‘Quick’ (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY.” The case became a rallying point for right-wing commentators and public figures, with some, including Elon Musk, amplifying the story and drawing comparisons to other high-profile cases. Social media campaigns called for murals in Zarutska’s honor, and her image became a symbol in debates about race, crime, and immigration.
Yet as The Guardian and other outlets have reported, the politicization of Zarutska’s death has often overshadowed deeper issues. Brown’s long history of mental illness and criminal behavior is at the heart of a broader debate about the failures of the American mental health system. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Brown believed he had a “man-made material” implanted in his body, and his family repeatedly tried to get him help. His mother, Michelle Dewitt, told ABC News that he refused to take medication. After his release from prison in 2020, Brown’s mental health deteriorated. He was arrested 14 times, including for armed robbery, larceny, and breaking and entering, but was repeatedly released. In a phone call from jail after the stabbing, he reportedly told his sister that Zarutska had been trying to read his mind.
Experts say Brown’s case is emblematic of a system in crisis. “We have a mental health crisis in this country, and we need to address it with appropriate mental health resources,” said Sheryl Kubiak, dean of social work at Wayne State University, in comments to The Guardian. Jails, she argued, are ill-equipped to treat severe mental illness. Jeffrey Swanson, a sociologist at Duke University, noted, “Now we have probably more people with serious mental illnesses on any given day in one of our massive big city jails… than we ever had in these asylums. And it’s really a scandal.”
The tragedy has also exposed weaknesses in Charlotte’s transit security. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) confirmed to ABC News that there was no security on board the train the night Zarutska was killed. A spokesperson said security teams patrol the system but are not stationed in one area. Zarutska’s uncle has called for change, stating, “Our country has to change on how we deal with these situations, and that requires our leadership to take action, and I need for them to take actions.”
Just months earlier, on April 12, 2025, Qualo Daniels was killed in the crossfire of a gunfight at Charlotte’s uptown transit center—only 360 steps from police headquarters. According to a lawsuit filed by Daniels’ family and reported by The Charlotte Observer, Daniels was at the food court before heading out for a friend’s birthday. When a fight between Jeremiah Deshawn McCree and Deion Marquise Futrell escalated, McCree fired first, Futrell shot back in self-defense, and Daniels was struck in the head by a stray bullet. He died at the hospital. McCree was charged with attempted first-degree murder and other offenses.
Daniels’ family is suing the city, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, CATS, and the private security company Professional Police Services, claiming their negligence “directly and proximately caused [Daniels] to die unnecessarily.” The lawsuit alleges failures in training and hiring, and cites over 1,000 aggravated assaults, 35 homicides, and 500 weapons law violations at or near the uptown transit center since 2015. The family seeks more than $50,000 in damages, including hospital and funeral expenses.
In the wake of these tragedies, Charlotte’s leaders and citizens are grappling with the complexity of public safety on mass transit. JD Vance, the U.S. Vice President, pointed fingers at “weak politicians” for Brown’s repeated release, while Attorney General Pam Bondi announced federal charges against Brown, making him eligible for the death penalty. Yet, as experts and advocates point out, the cycle of violence, untreated mental illness, and inadequate security is unlikely to end without systemic reform.
Zarutska’s family, meanwhile, mourns a young woman who had embraced the American dream. Her uncle described the outpouring of community support as “remarkable,” but nothing could replace the loss. “She didn’t deserve that and nobody does. It’s been very tough on the family,” he said.
As Charlotte faces lawsuits, public anger, and national scrutiny, the stories of Iryna Zarutska and Qualo Daniels serve as stark reminders of the urgent need for change—in mental health care, transit security, and the criminal justice system. Until those changes come, many fear the tragedies will continue.
