The family of Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska, who was murdered on a train in Charlotte on August 22, 2025, has filed a lawsuit against the city and a security company.
Murder of Iryna Zarutska / © TSN.ua
The family of 23-year-old Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska, who was murdered on a light rail train in the American city of Charlotte, has filed a lawsuit against the city and a private security company. The relatives of the deceased claim “systemic failures” in the security system, which, in their opinion, could have led to the tragedy.
This is reported by the Daily Mail, citing case materials.
The family of Iryna Zarutska has filed a lawsuit against the city of Charlotte and the private security contractor Professional Security Services (PSS).
The lawsuit was filed a year after the death of the Ukrainian refugee. Iryna Zarutska was fatally stabbed on August 22, 2025, while traveling on the CATS Light Rail system train.
“Systemic Failures”: What the Family Accuses the City Of
The family’s lawyer, Lauren Newton, stated that Charlotte authorities were allegedly aware of security problems in the public transport system even before Zarutska’s murder.
“This shows systemic failures that have existed in the CATS system for many years and that the city knew about,” Newton said.
According to her, one of the problems was the lack of physical barriers that would prevent fare-dodging passengers from entering the cars. Also, as stated in the lawsuit, the system did not actually ensure proper fare payment control.
The plaintiffs also stated that, according to their version, Zarutska’s killer did not pay for the trip before boarding the train.
Separate claims were made against the security company PSS. According to the lawsuit, the company may have been understaffed on the night of the murder. The documents indicate that the city funded 219 security positions in the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years, but at the time of the Ukrainian woman’s death, according to the lawsuit, only 183 employees were actually working.
Out of the budgeted 39 armed guards, only 11 were allegedly on staff.
“Violent crimes were entirely foreseeable,” stated the family’s lawyer.
The lawsuit also mentions other murders and assaults that occurred near Blue Line stations in recent years.
Murder of Iryna Zarutska: What is Known
According to the publication, Iryna Zarutska was fatally stabbed on a train car on August 22, 2025. DeCarlos Brown Jr. is accused of the murder.
Surveillance camera footage reportedly shows the man sitting behind the Ukrainian woman for some time, after which he pulled out a knife and attacked her.
Brown has been federally indicted for causing a death on a mass transit system – a crime that could carry the death penalty. He is also separately charged with first-degree murder under state law.
At the same time, the court found the defendant currently unable to stand trial. Following specialists’ conclusions regarding his mental state, a federal judge ordered Brown to be sent to a federal medical facility for treatment.
How Much Zarutska’s Family is Demanding
The family of the deceased Ukrainian woman is seeking compensation exceeding $25,000, as well as punitive damages from Professional Security Services.
The murder of Iryna Zarutska received widespread attention in the United States. In February 2026, US President Donald Trump mentioned the deceased Ukrainian during his address to Congress, while her mother, Anna Zarutska, was present in the hall.
“Ms. Zarutska, tonight I promise you that we will bring justice for your wonderful daughter Iryna,” Trump said at the time.
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Source: tsn.ua