Iryna Zarutska, 23, was stabbed to death on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to police, the attack was unprovoked.
Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. The Justice Department announced that he was also charged with federal charges of "causing death on a mass transit system," a crime that makes him eligible for the death penalty.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the maximum sentence would be sought and that Brown "will never see the light of day as a free man again."
The footage released from the moment of the attack, which Tiranapost will not publish, caused outrage and reignited the debate about criminality in the US.
Bondi stated: "Zarutska's murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals ahead of innocent people."
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said: "If mayors can't keep their trains and buses safe, then they don't deserve taxpayers' money."
Iryna Zarutska came to the United States in 2022 after fleeing the war in Ukraine with her mother and sisters. Her family described her in an online obituary as “a talented and passionate artist” who “adapted quickly to her new life.”
The crime received widespread coverage in Ukraine, where the media reported with shock and anger, highlighting the debate this case has sparked in America.
Republicans and conservative commentators have questioned why Brown was free despite a long criminal history, including armed robbery, burglary and illegal entry into residential premises. The crime is believed to have been racially motivated, as the killer was black and said after the crime: "I got that white girl."
