Wilmington Ukrainians condemn fatal Charlotte stabbing, partisan rhetoric
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Reactions continue after a Ukrainian refugee was fatally stabbed in Charlotte.
On August 22, 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska was riding the light rail on her way home.
About four minutes after Zarutska sat down, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown allegedly stabbed Zarutska. She died at the scene.
Lena Leonchuk is a Ukrainian immigrant who lives in Wilmington. She says news of the fatal stabbing was devastating.
“It’s one of those kind of shocking tragic events,” she said. “Like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine itself—it’s something that is kind of hard to comprehend, because anybody could be in her place.”
Brown’s criminal record shows he was previously charged 14 times in Mecklenburg County for a range of crimes including robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Some have used Brown’s extensive criminal record to blame political opponents for Zarutska’s death.
That’s something Barbara Bakowycz says doesn’t help anyone.
Bakowycz’s father immigrated to the US from Ukraine, and she helps organize several local events for the Ukrainian community.
“Our president did not waste any time in jumping on this and making it so political, which is very divisive. I don’t think it helps at all,” she said.
Bakowycz feels President Trump’s rhetoric following the attack contradicts his administration’s policies on foreign aid and refugee asylum.
On Wednesday, Governor Josh Stein told WWAY partisanship distracts from addressing the issues of mental health and justice reform.
“There’s a lot of things we need to do, and I’m willing to talk to anyone, whether it’s in the General Assembly, or the administration about what we can do to keep people safe,” Stein said. “We should not politicize a tragedy like this.”
Those calls are echoed by Leonchuk.
“We have a big problem. Whether it’s safety in this county, or the Ukraine invasion that we want to help, and doing this political dance, yes, it brings attention to those issues, but doesn’t necessarily help to resolve that,” she said.
Zarutska was born in Kyiv and immigrated to the US in 2022 to escape the war.
According to her obituary, she was a passionate artist who graduated with a degree in art and restoration from Synergy College in Kyiv.
