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11th September 2025
11:21am BST
Donald Trump has demanded that the man who fatally stabbed a woman on a train be given then death penalty.
23-year-old Ukrainian woman Iryna Zarutska was stabbed on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, last month, with her murder sparking major debate over crime in American cities.
The suspect in the attack, Decarlos Brown Jr, 34, has been charged with a federal crime, making him eligible for the death penalty.
He was also charged with causing death on a mass transportation system.
US President Donald Trump wrote on social media that the attacker will be 'awarded THE DEATH PENALTY.'
"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. There can be no other option!!!" the 79-year-old stated on Truth Socials.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the maximum penalty would be sought after by the department and that he would 'never again see the light of day as a free man'.
"[Ms Zarutska's] horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people," she added.
In a statement, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said: "If mayors can't keep their trains and buses safe, they don't deserve the taxpayers' money."
The 23-year-old victim had fled the war in Ukraine in 2022 alongside her mother and siblings.
In her obituary, her family wrote that she Zarutska had 'quickly embraced her new life in the United States' and was a 'gifted and passionate artist.'
Additionally, it has been questioned why Brown was free on the streets despite having an extensive criminal history, including convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon, larceny, and breaking and entering.
While right-wing influencers have claimed that the crime was racially charged, alleging that the victim commented on Brown's race, authorities have not outlined a motive, and Brown has not been charged with a hate crime.
A spokesperson for former Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, called the slaying "a heartbreaking, despicable act of evil" and told Politico that Republicans had supported cuts in funding to local and state law enforcement.
The current Democratic governor of North Carolina, Josh Stein, said in a social media post: "We need more cops on the beat to keep people safe."
