Elon Musk, Andrew Tate, and other high-profile figures are weighing in after a Ukrainian refugee, who was trying to rebuild her life and taste the “American dream,” was fatally stabbed in a Charlotte train.
The wealthy figures have pledged to donate money to paint murals of the victim, Iryna Zarutska, in prominent cities in the US.
Highlights
- Elon Musk, Andrew Tate, and other figures pledged to donate money to paint murals of Iryna Zarutska.
- Intercom CEO and cofounder Eoghan McCabe said the murals would be painted across prominent cities in the US.
- Many criticized the idea of murals, questioning whether it would make a real difference.
- “How about donate to her family?” one asked.
Suspect Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, who claimed to his sister that Iryna was “reading his mind,” is currently facing charges for her tragic passing.
Elon Musk, Andrew Tate, and other high-profile figures are weighing in after Iryna Zarutska’s tragic passing
Image credits: lucaveros225
Trigger warning: this article contains graphic details that may be distressing to some.
The violent incident unfolded aboard a late-night Blue Line train on August 22.
Iryna had hopped onto the train after working at Zepeddie’s Pizzeria and was returning home with several passengers around her.
After picking an empty row, the 23-year-old sat engrossed in her phone and was completely oblivious to the man in the red sweatshirt behind her.
In less than five minutes, the assailant Decarlos Brown Jr. dug into his clothes and brandished a pocket knife.
Image credits: lucaveros225
The suspect jumped out of his seat and fatally stabbed the unsuspecting young woman.
Surveillance footage captured Decarlos walking off, leaving the victim behind to succumb to her wounds on the train.
Iryna’s family said she was just minutes away from home when the “tragic and preventable” incident took place.
“That night, she texted her boyfriend that she would be home soon,” the family said. “Tragically, her journey ended in violence near the Camden light rail station.”
Iryna’s family said he texted her boyfriend and was just minutes away from home when the violence unfolded
Image credits: AmericaPapaBear
The victim was described as a “kind and hardworking young woman” who was deeply loved by her family and friends.
She was working full-time at the pizzeria whilst also taking classes to improve her English at a community college.
Lauren Newton, the family's attorney, said her loved ones are “absolutely devastated” by Iryna’s passing.
“She was here trying to live the American dream, and that was shattered, literally in an instant because of the lack of safety measures on the light rail,” Lauren said.
Decarlos Brown Jr. claimed to his sister that he knifed the victim because she was reading his mind
Image credits: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
Suspect Decarlos was arrested and charged with first-degree m****r.
His family said he was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia and suffered from paranoia and hallucinations.
He was “hearing voices” in his head in the lead-up to the attack, sister Tracey Brown told CNN.
“He didn’t seem like himself,” she told the outlet.
Tracey said her brother would struggle to keep a job and believed the government had implanted a chip in him.
Decarlos reportedly told his sister that he knifed Iryna because he thought she was reading his mind on the train.
“A person that is hearing voices in their head and believes the world is against them, they’re going to break,” she said. “And I think that night he broke.”
Wealthy figures like Eoghan McCabe, Elon Musk, and Andrew Tate pledged to donate money to paint murals of Iryna
Image credits: Real Time with Bill Maher
Iryna’s tragic passing has sparked fiery debates online about how the attack was preventable.
In light of the widespread outrage, Intercom CEO and cofounder Eoghan McCabe shared a post on X, saying he was willing to offer $500,000 in $10,000 grants to paint murals of Iryna in prominent cities.
Image credits: Cobratate
“I am offering $500k in $10k grants to paint murals of the face of Iryna Zarutska in prominent US city locations,” he wrote in his tweet. “Please contact katie@eoghan.com for more details.”
Many social media users stopped scrolling when they saw Eoghan’s post, including figures like Elon Musk and controversial influencer Andrew Tate.
“I will contribute $1M,” the Tesla founder responded to Eoghan’s tweet.
“Matched. 1M,” Andrew said as he joined the thread.
“Why does this lady get special treatment compared to everyone else who has been m****red?” the internet asked
Image credits: eoghan
Netizens had mixed reactions to the pledged donations, with one saying: “Nice gesture, but imagine if we put 2.5 million towards actually making a change.”
“She needs to be remembered,” one said, while another wrote, “Painting don’t change this.”
“How about donate to her family?” one asked.
Another wrote, “This would be a very different outcome if her skin was darker.”
“Its very sad she d***. But this would be such a different case if she weren't white,” another agreed.
“Wait! So, y’all suddenly care so much about immigrants and Ukrainians?” one commented.
Iryna was laid to rest in Charlotte on August 27.
Her father missed the funeral because he couldn’t leave Ukraine due to his age and the ongoing war.
Lonnie, a family friend, said Iryna managed to leave behind war-torn Ukraine, along with the anguish of not knowing “if you’re going to live or breathe another day.”
After fleeing the country with her mother, sister and brother, Iryna began building a life in Charlotte and hoped to be a veterinary assistant some day.
Iryna’s father missed the funeral due to the ongoing war in his home country
Image credits: lucaveros225
“She was always very helpful, very supportive, and just had a heart of gold,” Lonnie told WCNC. “She was a sweetheart. And it makes me sick to think that she's gone.”
Suspect Decarlos has a criminal history that started over a decade back, with records of larceny, armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a felon, domestic violence, and so on.
The suspect was in prison for about five years for robbery with a dangerous weapon and released in September 2020.
He was most recently arrested in January over repeatedly misusing 911 from a hospital and claiming that people were trying to control his body. He was released without bail at the time.
Netizens had mixed reactions to the wealthy figures pledging money to paint murals of Iryna Zarutska
