NEW FOOTAGE: Iryna Zarutska Seen Looking Up In Horror After Stabbing

Newly released footage has shed light on the final moments of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, whose brutal stabbing aboard a Charlotte, North Carolina, light rail train last month has shocked the nation. The video, shared by MassLive News, shows Zarutska looking upward in horror, seemingly trying to process what had just happened, before putting her hands to her face as she bled out. The chilling images have reignited outrage over a crime that many say could—and should—have been prevented.

The attack occurred on August 22, while Zarutska was riding the Lynx Blue Line light rail. Zarutska, who fled Kyiv in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, had come to America to start a new life. She had been working toward her dream of becoming a veterinary assistant while pursuing her passion for art.

Those closest to her described her as a young woman full of potential, determined to build a future far from the violence she had escaped. That dream ended in an instant when a career criminal targeted her on an ordinary weekday commute.

The suspect, Brown, was well known to local authorities. He had 14 prior arrests for crimes including armed robbery, breaking and entering, and larceny. Reports indicated he also suffered from serious mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, and family members had previously attempted to have him committed.

WATCH:

NEW: New footage released by @masslivenews shows Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska looking up in horror, trying to process what had just happened to her after being stabbed.

Zarutska was seen putting her face in her hands as she bled out.

Heartbreaking. pic.twitter.com/zKVGQ5CNa5

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 9, 2025

Critics have since pointed to the failure of both the justice and mental health systems in preventing Brown from being free on the streets despite his history of violence and instability.

Charlotte leaders quickly faced backlash for safety lapses. Though police were stationed one car ahead of where the stabbing occurred, no officers were near Zarutska when she was attacked. Mayor Vi Lyles called the murder “senseless and tragic” and promised reforms, while the Charlotte Area Transit System pledged to increase its security presence, strengthen fare inspections, and add ticket validators across its system.

The FBI and U.S. Department of Transportation launched their own investigations into transit safety, reflecting federal concern over the incident. The killing also became a national political flashpoint. President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for the environment that allowed a repeat offender like Brown to roam free, calling him a “lunatic” and pointing to lenient bail and criminal justice policies.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy suggested that cities failing to secure public transit should risk losing federal funds. Figures including Elon Musk have criticized mainstream media outlets for minimal coverage of the crime compared to other high-profile cases.