CNN–Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was fatally stabbed on a light-rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 22, 2025, in an unprovoked attack by Decarlos Brown, a 34-year-old man with a criminal record. Brown was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and faces a federal charge carrying the possibility of the death penalty. The incident ignited national debate regarding crime, public safety, and the political blame for violence, according to CNN.