On August 22, 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska was murdered while using public transit in Charlotte, North Carolina. Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, whipped out a knife and stabbed her multiple times. She died at the scene. Surveillance footage captured the brutal murder, with Brown shaking off the knife that was dripping with blood. It’s a story that the legacy press tried to avoid over the weekend. Now, it’s unavoidable.
There are two stories here: why was this man with 14 prior arrests allowed to roam free, and why did the media ignore it. You know the answers already, but we’ll keep playing this game. If we must shame the press into covering these stories, so be it, because we all know this would’ve been plastered on the screens of CNN and MSNBC for days if the races were switched. And now, Axios had this to say about it: “The gruesome video of the fatal knife attack on Iryna Zarutska on a light-rail car in Charlotte is drawing attention from MAGA influencers seeking to elevate the issue of violent urban crime — and accuse mainstream media of under-covering shocking cases.”
That’s how you frame it? Are you kidding me? Also, they blamed those evil surveillance camera companies for pouring fuel on the fire, and by that, I mean, capturing those who break the law. How dare they?
What a disgusting headline @axios
— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) September 8, 2025
Everyone hates you pic.twitter.com/vAqpRfAL30
MAGA influencers are drawing repeated attention to violent attacks to elevate the issue of urban crime — and accuse mainstream media of under-covering shocking cases.
Shocking video of the fatal Aug. 22 knife attack on 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a light-rail car in Charlotte, North Carolina, dominated weekend conversation on Trump-friendly social media.
The big picture: The rising number of surveillance cameras in public spaces, including on Charlotte's light rail, has become a big accelerant in these cases.
The video is easily shared or leaked, and can instantly pollinate across social media — a visual counterpoint to statistics showing crime decreases.
Driving the news: President Trump, asked about the Charlotte video by a reporter Sunday, said he wanted to find out more about the stabbing before commenting.
"I'll know all about it by tomorrow morning," Trump said.
A Trump adviser told Axios: "This is exactly what he's talking about, and it's going to be an issue he's going to highlight. This is not just about North Carolina. Other campaigns will deal with this."
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The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was charged with first-degree murder. His criminal record includes charges of armed robbery, felony larceny, breaking and entering, and shoplifting, according to jail records cited by WBTV.
It’s time to start locking people up. I don’t care about the ramifications at this point. It’s out of control; people must be locked up. If we have to roll in with tanks, that’s what we must do.