The horrifying 911 calls made moments after a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee was fatally stabbed on a train in Charlotte have been released – and they capture the raw fear of witnesses who watched helplessly as the young woman was murdered “for no reason.”
In 2022, Iryna Zarutska fled the war in Ukraine with her mother, sister, and brother, looking for safety and a fresh start in the U.S., according to her obituary.
The woman, known for her “radiant smile,” was a talented artist with a degree in art and restoration from a Kyiv college — but her heart was set on a different dream: becoming a veterinary assistant and building a new life in America.
But her life was cut short on Aug. 22 after she was stabbed to death in what authorities describe as a random and unprovoked attack on the CATS Blue Line train in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Unprovoked attack
Surveillance footage from inside the Charlotte train shows 23-year-old boarding with headphones in and quietly taking a seat in front of 34-year-old Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., who appeared to be concealing his face. The two never interacted.
Moments later, Brown allegedly pulled an object from his pocket and fatally stabbed Zarutska “three times in the middle of her throat,” according to a police affidavit.
As she collapsed to the floor, bleeding heavily, terrified passengers scrambled to call 911, desperately pleading for help.
Calls reveal horror
On Oct. 1, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department released the emergency calls that poured in from terrified passengers who frantically described the scene as Zarutska lay unresponsive on the floor of the train car.
“It could be any of us, it could be (inaudible) too!” one caller can be heard hysterically crying, according to 911 recordings obtained by Fox News. “This man f****** stabbed her for no reason. I was standing right beside her…she’s bleeding!”
Another caller tried to direct the dispatcher to the scene but was clearly rattled: “This lady just got stabbed…I’m not sure where we are…There’s a tall building with blue X’s on it. There’s a lady on the ground. She’s bleeding a lot. I don’t think she’s responsive. There is a lot of blood.”
‘I think she’s dead’
The panic and urgency escalate as the caller continues:
“Everyone is screaming. People are freaking out,” the female caller continued. “She’s on the train. She’s on the ground. There are people around her right now. She looks young… I don’t know. I don’t think she’s responsive right now. There’s a lot of blood.”
“I think she’s dead. She’s not responding,” she said, the sound of emergency sirens now faintly ringing in the background. “She was stabbed in the carotid [artery] I believe. There’s a lot of blood. There is no pulse. I think she’s gone.”
A third voice, almost frantic, cries out that the victim is likely dead: “A girl got stabbed on the train. I think she’s dead, man. I think she might be dead.”
And another passenger provides a description of the suspect to police, explaining that the suspect was a “Black male, dreadlocks, his hair wrapped up, a black T-shirt and blue jeans. His hand is wrapped up.”
Suspect arrested
After the brutal stabbing, Brown allegedly slipped to another part of the train, but police intercepted him just moments later on the outbound platform and took him into custody.
He was wearing clothes that matched witness descriptions and had a cut on his hand. A folding knife was recovered near the platform.
Despite emergency medical efforts, Zarutska was pronounced dead at 10:05 p.m.
Brown has since been charged with first-degree murder, as well as a federal charge for committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.
FBI Charlotte special agent James C. Barnacle Jr. said: “Iryna Zarutska had likely taken that train ride many times before. She was probably tired after a day at work and just wanted to go home, but tragically she never made it.”
The release of the 911 audio adds a new and deeply emotional layer to the story – not just of a life lost too soon, but of the trauma left behind for those who witnessed it.
Please share your thoughts about the newly released audio n the comment section below and then share this story with your friends so we can also hear from others.
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