Trump calls for death penalty for suspect in Charlotte light rail stabbing

Trump says the trial of Decarlos Brown Jr. should be "quick"

Published September 10, 2025 9:04am EDT | Updated September 10, 2025 9:39am EDT

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President Donald Trump called for Decarlos Brown Jr. to face the death penalty for the alleged murder of Iryna Zarutska on Wednesday.

Trump made the statement on social media, saying the trial for suspect Decarlos Brown Jr. should be "quick."

"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," Trump posted on Truth Social. "There can be no other option!"

Zarutska's slaying has brought about heavy criticism of Democrats, who critics accuse of adopting soft-on-crime laws that allow violent criminals to roam the streets. Trump argued Monday that the victim's "blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail."

President Donald Trump says the suspect in Iryna Zarutska's murder should face the death penalty. (Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump also placed blame for Zarutska's killing on former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is now running for the Senate in battleground UKRAINIAN WOMAN WHO FLED WAR STABBED TO DEATH AT CHARLOTTE LIGHT RAIL STATION

The Charlotte killing came amid Trump's focus this summer on spotlighting horrific crimes in Democrat-controlled cities as he moves federal law enforcement into urban areas.

Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail car. (Instagram/lucaveros225 | Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Brown, who is Black, was arrested soon after the stabbing and charged with first-degree murder. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice charged Brown with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.

Records obtained by Fox News Digital showed that Brown has a history of arrests going back more than a decade, including convictions for felony larceny and felony breaking and entering in 2013, and a 2015 conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon that sent him to prison for more than six years. He was released in 2020 but remained on parole until 2021, and subsequent charges against him included communicating threats and misuse of the 911 system earlier this year.

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On Monday, Trump noted other recent killings in the U.S., saying that actions, like his administration’s push to CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"This cashless bail started a wave in our country where a killer kills somebody and is out on the street by the afternoon and, in many cases, going out and killing again, cashless bail," Trump said.

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

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Trump calls for death penalty for suspect in Charlotte light rail stabbing

Trump says the trial of Decarlos Brown Jr. should be "quick"

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