Trump condemns 'madman' behind Charlotte murder after watching attack video: 'They are evil people'

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: President Donald Trump has condemned the fatal stabbing of a young Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, North Carolina, calling the attack “horrific” and urging stricter measures against violent repeat offenders.

In a statement shared Monday evening on the official White House X account, Trump said he had watched the video of the August incident and questioned why the suspect was free despite a long criminal record.

Donald Trump responds to killing of Ukrainian refugee in North Carolina

Earlier on Monday, September 8, while speaking at the Museum of the Bible, Trump also brought up the stabbing of Iryna Zarutska on the city’s light rail.

“I have seen the horrific video of a beautiful, young Ukrainian refugee, who came to America to escape the vicious War in Ukraine, and was innocently riding the Metro in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she was brutally ambushed by a mentally deranged lunatic. The perpetrator was a well known career criminal, who had been previously arrested and released on CASHLESS BAIL in January, a total of 14 TIMES,” Trump said. “What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP.”

He added, “We're all people of religion, but there are evil people,” Trump said, adding, “And we have to confront that. I just give my love and hope to the family of the young woman who was stabbed this morning or last night in Charlotte by a madman.”

Victim identified as 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska

The victim was 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, who had recently come to the United States. Surveillance footage released by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) shows Zarutska boarding the Lynx Blue Line train around 9:45 pm on August 22. She was wearing her work uniform and scrolling on her phone while the man in a red hoodie is seen sitting behind her. 

Just minutes later, the video captures the man pulling out a knife and stabbing her multiple times, including once in the neck. Zarutska was pronounced dead at the scene. After the attack, the suspect removed his sweatshirt and stood by the train doors as shocked passengers looked on.

“So they're evil people,” Trump said, adding, “We have to be able to handle that. If we don't handle that, we don't have a country.”

Suspect has long criminal history

Authorities identified the suspect as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, who was arrested shortly after the stabbing and charged with first-degree murder. According to public records reviewed by Fox News Digital, Brown’s criminal history stretches back more than a decade.

Trump described the suspect, saying, “A lunatic just got up and started. It's right on tape. Not really watchable because it's so horrible, but just viciously stabbed. She's just sitting there.”

In 2013, he was convicted of felony larceny and felony breaking. Two years later, he was convicted of robbery with a dangerous weapon and served more than six years in prison before being released in 2020. He remained on parole until 2021. This year alone, Brown had been arrested on charges including misuse of the 911 system and making threats.

Trump used the case to again criticize cashless bail, a policy he says allows dangerous individuals to reoffend. “This cashless bail started a wave in our country where a killer kills somebody and is out on the street by the afternoon, and, in many cases, going out and killing again, cashless bail.”

Family of Iryna Zarutska launches GoFundMe as they seek justice

The family of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska is appealing for support after her shocking killing. 

Zarutska fled Ukraine in 2022, “seeking safety from the war,” only to have her life cut short in a brutal attack that police say was carried out by repeat offender Decarlos Brown. Her loved ones described the loss as “irreparable,” noting she had worked hard to build a new future in the US.

In the wake of her death, family and friends established a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral costs and support Zarutska’s sister, Valeria, who is now left to navigate both grief and logistical hurdles in a foreign country. The page explained that donations will go toward “unexpected expenses” and to provide stability for the family during this unbearably difficult time.

By September 7, the campaign had raised more than $75,000.