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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) — The Charlotte Area Transit System, CATS, has released video of the deadly stabbing two weeks ago on the light rail.
Because the video is so disturbing and violent, the full video is not shown it in its entirety, but still parts of it are shown so viewers can understand how random the attack was.
The video shows the suspect, DeCarlos Brown, already on the light rail when the victim, Iryna Zarutska, gets on and sits in front of him on Friday, Aug. 22, right around 10 p.m.
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Deadly Light Rail Stabbing
Brown sits for about four and a half minutes and seems to be fidgety off and on during that time. He doesn’t seem to look in Zarutska’s direction at all, and doesn’t even seem to notice she’s there until suddenly out of nowhere, he pulls out a knife.
Zarutska has no idea what’s coming. The suspect quickly stabs her three times and walks off as if nothing happened, leaving her to die.
Brown moves to another part of the light rail car and changes clothes and then runs off the light rail with his hand wrapped in his sweatshirt at the next stop.
Since the stabbing, city leaders have called for extra security on the light rail.
In a statement posted Saturday morning, Charlotte mayor Vi Lyles said: “The video of the heartbreaking attack that took Iryna Zarutska’s life is now public. I want to thank our media partners and community members who have chosen not to repost or share the footage out of respect for Iryna’s family.
This was a senseless and tragic loss. My prayers remain with her loved ones as they continue to grieve through an unimaginable time.
Like so many of you, I’m heartbroken — and I’ve been thinking hard about what safety really looks like in our city. I remain committed to doing all we can to protect our residents and ensure Charlotte is a place where everyone feels safe.”
QCN wanted to know how riders are feeling and whether security officers are becoming more high-profile.
“When it happened, of course, I was very disturbed, and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to take the light rail,” said one rider who didn’t want her name used.
Riders have mixed opinions on whether they’ve noticed more security officers on the light rail since the stabbing.
“I have not noticed a change in security either. In fact, I’ve seen more absent,” said Allison Laforgia.
“I feel like I have noticed an increase in security but only at specific times like more so during the morning when I’m commuting to work,” said Niharika Chandakr, another rider.
We rode the light rail on Friday from about 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., starting at the East-West station in South End near where the stabbing happened.
We went round-trip for about 20 stops total. We did not see a single security officer.
“I do think they need to step up some more measures, I don’t know what that looks like,” said the rider who did not want to be identified.
CATS says they are 35 officers short and are working to hire the full 219 they have allotted through their contract with a private security firm.
The agency told city leaders this week that they are also focused on fare enforcement. They do not believe Brown had a ticket.
Rider Marwa Daud believes it makes a difference when riders know that security is checking to see if people paid because it gets people off the light rail who mean to cause problems and keeps others who need it on.
“I feel like they’re not there just to create chaos, they’re there to go from point A to point B,” said Daud.
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Robin Kanady
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