Trump Calls for 'Quick' Death Penalty for Murderer of Iryna Zarutska: 'There Can Be No Other Option'
A day after a federal charge was brought against the man accused of killing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte commuter train, President Donald Trump called for fast justice in the case.
Decarlos Brown Jr. was charged Tuesday with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, according to a Department of Justice news release. The maximum sentence could be life in prison or the death penalty.
Zarutska, 23, was stabbed to death on the Lynx Blue Line light rail system in Charlotte on Aug. 22, according to WBTV. Brown was later charged with first-degree murder. Video showing the stabbing of the 9:50 p.m. incident did not hit the media until Friday, sparking a widening sense of outrage as it spread.
“The ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine, who came to America searching for peace and safety, should be given a ‘Quick’ (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY. There can be no other option!!! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 09.10.25 08:44 AM EST
The ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine, who came to America searching for peace and safety, should be given a “Quick” (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY. There can be…
— Fan Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) September 10, 2025
Brown had been arrested earlier this year but was put back on the street, as noted by the New York Post.
Brown told police he was given “man-made material” that controlled his actions. Police said they could not help him, leading to a dispute that ended in Brown’s arrest.
The average death penalty case drags on 18–25 years. But in the case of Decarlos Brown, there’s video evidence. He admitted it—“Got that White Girl.”
Justice like this doesn’t need decades. It shouldn’t take years. Conviction to execution should be days. pic.twitter.com/80mdiuHOmE
— Virgil L. Walker (@VirgilWalkerOMA) September 9, 2025
Magistrate Teresa Stokes then set Brown free after he signed a promise to appear in court as scheduled.
Fox News noted that Brown was convicted of felony larceny and felony breaking and entering in 2013, and in 2015 was convicted of robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Trump has said the tragedy is part of the cost of Democratic leadership.
“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,” he posted on Truth Social.
“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. What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP. The blood of this innocent woman can literally be seen dripping from the killer’s knife, and now her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail,” Trump wrote.
In announcing the federal charge against Brown in a DOJ news release, Attorney General Pamela Bondi said, “Iryna Zarutska was a young woman living the American dream — her horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people.”
President Donald J. Trump denounces senseless crime in Democrat-run cities & the horrific murder of a young woman in Charlotte by a deranged criminal monster.
“It’s time to stop this madness. The people of our country need to insist on protection, safety, LAW & ORDER.” pic.twitter.com/eUD5KuTufC
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 9, 2025
“I have directed my attorneys to federally prosecute DeCarlos Brown Jr., a repeat violent offender with a history of violent crime, for murder. We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man,” she said.
“The brutal attack on Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte Light Rail was a disgraceful act that should never happen in America,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.
He said the charge against Brown is “the first step toward delivering justice for Iryna and her family — as well as the millions of Americans who deserve to live in our great American cities free from being targeted by violent criminals.”
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