I would have been willing to die to save this young woman. I would have taken those blows for her.
I’m sure I would have been killed also. But, f**k it—it would have been worth it. None of us are getting out of here alive anyway.
The problem is it happened so fast. The predator, 34 year old Decarlos Brown, stabbed her three times in about four seconds. This man was extremely strong. He was built like a boxer or a running back for a professional football team. Brown struck her with his knife as forcefully as possible. The first stab was in the neck; the other two were in the body, I have read.
At the end of this post, I am going to share some takeaways which we should all consider.
In the posted picture, 23 year old Ukrainian born Iryna Zarutska looks as if she is terrified of something about to happen. That is not the case. At this point, she had already been stabbed three times by a man sitting behind her. But it happened so fast that her brain had to process what actually just happened.
Once Iryna realized she had been stabbed, she put her head in her hands, knowing she would bleed out and die alone. Within ten seconds of this picture, she keeled over to her left, our right as viewers, and died. It was almost a full two minutes before anyone came over to help from other cars on the train.
I will leave two different links at the bottom of this article for those who want to see the magnitude this tragedy. One is the full graphic version, and the other is a shorter edited version by the New York Post.
It is important to note there was no way anyone in that part of the train could have prevented this. It happened in less than five seconds. But once it did happen, the passengers near Iryna did nothing. And she noticed them doing nothing before she died. That is also why she put her head in her hands.
This young woman, very petite and fragile in stature, lost her life in the most violent fashion possible on August 22 at around 9:51 pm. She had boarded the train only five minutes earlier after her shift at the pizzeria came to an end. It was a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina. But on that particular night, at that particular time, when she boarded the train, she fatally sat in the wrong seat. The killer had been sitting in the seat behind her for several stops already.
Iryna Zarutska and her family fled Ukraine in 2022 due to the war with Russia for a better and safer life in the United States. This is one of the most devastating stories I have ever read and seen in my life. The horror she felt and endured is beyond words.
She was literally an angel walking among us. Iryna took care of neighborhood animals, helped at a senior citizen center, and dreamed of a career as a veterinary assistant.
In Iryna’s obituary, her parents wrote:
“Iryna also had a deep love for animals. She often cared for her neighbors’ pets, and many fondly remember seeing her walking them through the neighborhood, always with her radiant smile. She dreamed of pursuing a career as a veterinary assistant while also working toward her independence by learning to drive. Remarkably, she became fluent in English within a very short time, reflecting her determination and love of learning.”
Though she enjoyed adventures, sightseeing, and exploring new places with close friends, Iryna was also a homebody at heart, happiest when surrounded by family and loved ones. Her mother lovingly recalls her ability to sleep for wonderfully long stretches, something she affectionately called an “artist’s gift.”
A link to the full obituary is enclosed at the bottom of this article.
Back to me now. When we are riding on buses or trains, try to make sure you are sitting in a seat with no seats behind you. Or stay standing while holding on to the handles that run along the top of the vehicles we often see with public transportation.
My heart is broken for this sweet soul. Absolute devastation. This was a life-changing incident for many, including myself, who understand the magnitude and horror of this murder.
The full version link is below. You can start watching at the 10 minute and 40 second mark when she is stabbed and continue through the 12 minute and 30 second mark, when somebody finally came over from another car on the train to see if he could help. Others then began trying to help as well, but it was too late. Iryna died alone in horror and remained alone for a full two minutes.
Here is the link to the full Unedited version:
Here is the the link the edited version by he New York Post:
The Obituary for Iryna Zarutska
Sincerely,
Scott Smitha
