BREAKING: ONE YEAR LATER — IRYNA ZARUTSKA’S FAMILY MAKES A MAJOR NEW MOVE IN FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

One year after 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska was fatally stabbed aboard a Charlotte light-rail train, her family has taken a new legal step — and it could put the city’s transit security system under intense scrutiny.

Iryna had fled war-torn Ukraine and was riding the LYNX Blue Line home from work when she was attacked in August 2025. Her accused killer, Decarlos Brown Jr., was arrested and charged with murder.

But for Iryna’s family, the criminal case is not enough.

They have now filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the City of Charlotte and Professional Security Services, alleging that inadequate security, fare enforcement and staffing failures contributed to the tragedy. Those allegations have not been proven in court.

And the timing is impossible to ignore.

The lawsuit comes almost exactly one year after Iryna’s death — as a new state audit has also raised concerns about security and safety practices within Charlotte’s transit system.

The family is now seeking accountability and changes they hope could prevent another family from experiencing the same devastating loss.

But one question continues to haunt the case:

COULD IRYNA’S DEATH HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?

One year later, her family is still fighting.

Not only for justice for Iryna…

But for answers about what went wrong — and whether the system failed her when she needed protection most.

THE FIGHT FOR ACCOUNTABILITY HAS JUST ENTERED A NEW CHAPTER.