Newly released 911 calls detail the chaotic moments after Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death on a light rail train in Charlotte.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Following a tragic incident in August on the LYNX Blue Line light rail, officials have made public 911 calls and security footage, which detail the moments surrounding the fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old woman.
The recordings capture the panic immediately after the incident that claimed the life of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee. Decarlos Brown faces murder charges in connection with the stabbing.
Some of the callers were on the train when the stabbing happened, while others were at the scene after the stabbing.
“He just stabbed her for no reason,” one caller said.
Witnesses reported seeing individuals gather around Zarutska, trying to help her until medical teams reached the scene, where she was later declared deceased.
Brown left the train after the stabbing. Callers described what he was wearing to dispatchers and said the direction he walked.
Newly released security video shows people frantically exiting the train searching for help from police or emergency responders.
Security footage shows Brown with a hoodie wrapped around his injured hand, walking around the platform. He sustained a cut during the altercation and required hospitalization for several days following the event.
Police later arrested Brown on the platform.
CATS has also shared video footage of events leading up to the stabbing, showing Brown waiting for the train on the platform. The video captures him sitting on a bench for more than 10 minutes before boarding.
The stabbing drew nationwide attention when CATS released video of the attack, which depicted Brown repeatedly stabbing Zarutska in the neck as she sat, focused on her phone with earbuds in. According to family friends, Zarutska had recently arrived in the United States to escape the conflict in Ukraine.
Brown has 14 previous court cases in Mecklenburg County and was sentenced to six years in prison in 2015 for robbery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering, and larceny. His attorney has filed a motion for a competency evaluation. Before the August stabbing, Brown was charged with misuse of the 911 system in January, a misdemeanor.
President Donald Trump spoke about the case earlier this month, prompting a whirlwind of reactions in North Carolina and across the country. Brown was subsequently given a federal charge for committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.
The case has left many residents concerned about Charlotte’s transit safety. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles responded by pledging additional security personnel on the Blue Line. While the change was implemented immediately, many riders have not seen an added security presence.
In a statement, Zarutska’s family called her death “tragic and preventable,” and said she was just minutes away from home. She was working full-time at a Charlotte pizzeria while simultaneously attending community college in an effort to improve her English.
The North Carolina General Assembly passed “Iryna’s Law” in September to target cashless bail for certain offenders and expedite death penalty appeals.
The state’s auditor released a report on CATS on Monday, finding a 40% drop in armed security personnel in the years before the stabbing.
