Editor’s Note: This article discusses acts of violence, including murder.
As a North Carolina native, I’ve always considered my hometown to be quite safe. From morning walks to work uptown to relying on public transit for school, I grew up with the sense that the city was bustling, but never dangerous. So when I heard the news of the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte light rail on Aug. 22, 2025, I was at a complete loss for words.
The idea that a young woman could lose her life to a total stranger in such a brutal manner on a routine commute was shocking. I began to think about my own past rides on the light rail and the friends of mine who still rely on public transit every day. The randomness of it all left me unsettled, because it could have been me. It could have been any one of us…