Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was fatally stabbed aboard a Charlotte light rail train after fleeing war in search of safety. Police identified the suspect as Decarlos Brown Jr., who admitted in a jail call that he didn’t know her and spoke about “outside forces lashing out.”

Brown’s family says he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, with delusions such as believing the government implanted a chip in him. They believe he should never have been released without psychiatric care and that his untreated illness contributed to the attack.

Zarutska had come to the U.S. hoping to rebuild her life. Loved ones describe her as “kind, optimistic, and hardworking.” Her family, devastated by the loss, is demanding justice and pushing for changes in how mental health and criminal cases are handled.

The case has sparked debate about systemic failures in mental health care and public safety. Advocates argue that reforms are needed to ensure those with severe mental illness receive proper treatment before becoming a danger.

This tragedy underscores the intersection of mental illness, violence, and community safety, raising urgent questions about how such attacks can be prevented in the future.