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Charlotte light rail train stabbing
A 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, Iryna Zarutska, was fatally stabbed on Aug. 22 on the light rail line in Charlotte’s South End. 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr., who has a reported history of mental health issues, is charged in the killing. Zarutska’s death has received national attention, with public comments from President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Charlotte officials.
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The women of daytime talk show “The View” added their voices to the discussion around crime and mental health in the wake of the Charlotte light rail stabbing.
Longtime moderator Whoopi Goldberg addressed criticisms from the Trump administration, which has placed blame on Democrats following the grisly attack.
“Stop politicizing this,” Goldberg said during the Sept. 10 airing. “This is not political. This has to do with how we take care of our sick Americans when they’re in need.”
“Nobody in this country wanted that young lady to die,” she added.
Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, died Aug. 22 after she was stabbed by another passenger on the Lynx Blue Line in the city’s South End neighborhood.
DeCarlos Brown Jr., 34, was charged with murder and also faces federal charges in what authorities said was a random attack.
Brown’s lawyer said he has “a long history” of mental health issues, and records show he’s been arrested multiple times on charges including felony larceny and robbery with a dangerous weapon, The Charlotte Observer reported.
The killing gained national attention after video of the attack was made public, prompting calls for action from state and national leaders, including President Donald Trump.
Co-host Joy Behar highlighted the estimated $1 billion in cuts to mental health services by the president’s administration earlier this year.
“There has to be something between prison and walking free that keeps everyone safe, because when you refuse medical treatment and you are this sort of risk, you should never be out and about when the red flags were raised,” fellow host Sara Haines said.
Co-host and legal expert Sunny Hostin agreed, and emphasized the need to address what she described as a “pandemic” of mental illness in the U.S.
“Yes, we must be smart on crime,” Hostin continued. “But part of being smart on crime means making sure people have access to healthcare, including mental health care when they are in prison.”
Alyssa Farrah Griffin, the sole Republican on the panel, brought up the issue of bail reform, saying: “Somebody shouldn’t be a 14-time offender and be back on the streets.”
She further argued that investment in mental health resources was equally important.
“We don’t treat mental health in a systematic way anymore in this country,” Griffin said. “There needs to be a safe, responsible place where people like (Brown) can go.”
“The View” airs at 11 a.m. EST Monday through Friday on ABC.
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter based at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She recently joined the NC Service Journalism team and covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide stories. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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