CHARLOTTE – Twenty-three-year-old Iryna Zarutska, who fled the war in Ukraine seeking to start anew in the United States, was tragically killed in an unprovoked stabbing while riding the Charlotte light rail home after work.
For those in her community, the loss is especially poignant, as her vibrant pink and green floral paintings greet them each time they enter their homes, carrying her signature touch.
Residents of Huntersville, a Charlotte suburb where Zarutska had settled with her family, recounted to Fox News Digital their initial introduction to the Ukrainian artist through a local Facebook group. In her posts, she offered her talent to create floral designs or murals in their homes.
“When she came over to do samples, we kept them,” a neighbor shared. “She painted for a few days, and during that time, we got to know her well.”
Zarutska’s artwork now carries new meaning for those who knew her.
“She had a skill for this — to put the colors down and mix them up and get exactly what you had in mind. Phenomenal,” another neighbor said.
Another neighbor highlighted a modest flower she painted in a corner of their home. “It’s simple, but incredibly special to me,” they remarked. “I’m grateful I asked her to sign it.”
The art of Iryna Zarutska, who was commissioned to adorn her neighbors’ homes in Huntersville, North Carolina, with her floral paintings. Photo dated Sept. 9, 2025. (Peter D’Abrosca/Fox News Digital)
Neighbors say her work lives on in their homes and hearts. “Every time I come in here, I say her name. Her memory is here every day.”
Though their time with her was brief, neighbors were struck by her intelligence and drive.
Others recalled conversations about the differences between life in Ukraine and in Charlotte. She had no driver’s license, relying instead on public transportation — something she explained was common in her hometown.
Jenean Fornges, former publisher of Huntersville Living Magazine, worked on a story about Zarutska’s family in 2023.
Stabbing victim Iryna Zarutsk fled Ukraine for the U.S. (@lucaveros225/Instagram)
“They were just a very sweet, sweet family, and it was such an honor to feature them all,” Fornges told Fox News Digital. “I was very inspired by the family setup there. The children were just young and sweet, and they were very excited to be here in the country for the first time.
“They had only just come. I don’t think that they were even speaking English at that point. They had, literally, just arrived. But they were just excited, and they were just having a lot of fun with the pictures, like just being kind of silly and cute. I do remember Iryna. She was very sweet and polite and just happy and just very fun-loving. I picked up on the natural joy that they had as a family.”
“Now it’s heartbreaking and so sad I can’t even really find words to express,” she added. “It’s just hard to even really wrap my head around what has happened to Iryna.”
In the days since her death, those who knew her say they feel a responsibility to keep her memory alive.
“Say her name. Make her real,” one neighbor said.
For her neighbors, the flowers she left behind are more than art — they are a reminder of the young woman who dreamed of building a new life in America.
During a moving part of Tuesday’s news conference, Ferguson shared a message from Zarutska’s family.
“After Iryna’s death, the embassy in Ukraine called and said, ‘We’ll help you bring her home.’ But her family said no. They told us she loved America, and they wanted to bury her here. So I think we can give her an America to be proud of.”
