New details show South End stabbing was random attack
Court documents describe the attack of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on the light rail in South End Aug. 22
The following article appeared in the Aug. 29, 2025, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.
New court documents show that the South End light rail murder was a totally random attack
◼️ Victim sat in front of suspect for 4+ minutes on northbound light rail train before being stabbed
◼️ Mother of suspect says he was schizophrenic and should not have been on the streets
◼️ CATS says it was not a security failure
The South End murder of a young Ukrainian immigrant was captured on the light rail line’s video, which shows that the attacker sat behind the victim for more than four minutes before stabbing her without saying a word.
Those chilling new details from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, contained in court documents filed Thursday, appear to indicate that it was a senseless and random crime — one that took place just before 10 p.m. last Friday as the train passed through bustling South End before stopping at the East/West Boulevard Station on Camden Road.
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