President Trump reacts to fatal Charlotte light rail stabbing: "Horrible" ...Middle East

CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- President Donald Trump briefly addressed the deadly light rail stabbing that happened recently in Charlotte, calling the incident "horrible" and saying he expects to know more about it soon.

Speaking at an event in Maryland on Sunday, Trump was asked about the killing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, who was stabbed to death while riding the LYNX Blue Line on August 22.

"I’ll know all about it by tomorrow," Trump said when asked whether he had seen the widely discussed and disturbing surveillance video. "It was horrible."

A random, deadly attack

The incident, caught on transit security cameras, has shaken the Charlotte community. The footage shows suspect Decarlos Brown already seated on the train when Zarutska boards around 10 p.m. She sits down in front of him, unaware of any danger.

For more than four minutes, Brown appears fidgety, but doesn’t interact with Zarutska. Then, in a completely unprovoked move, he suddenly pulls out a pocket knife and stabs her three times in the throat. She had no warning and no chance to defend herself.

Brown then calmly walks away, changes his clothes on another part of the train, and exits at the next stop with his hand wrapped in his sweatshirt. Investigators later charged him with first-degree murder.

Authorities have confirmed that there was no known connection between Brown and Zarutska. They had no interaction before the attack.

City leaders and riders speak out

The release of the footage has triggered widespread outrage and concern. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles shared her heartbreak in a public statement, urging media outlets and community members not to share the violent video out of respect for Zarutska’s family.

“This was a senseless and tragic loss,” Lyles wrote. “My prayers remain with her loved ones as they continue to grieve through an unimaginable time… I’ve been thinking hard about what safety really looks like in our city.”

Transit riders are also reacting with fear, frustration, and calls for change.

“When it happened, of course, I was very disturbed, and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to take the light rail,’” said one rider, who asked to remain anonymous.

Some riders say they’ve noticed an increase in security since the attack, but others say the opposite.

“I have not noticed a change in security either. In fact, I’ve seen more absent,” said Allison Laforgia.

“I feel like I have noticed an increase in security but only at specific times, like more so during the morning when I’m commuting to work,” said Niharika Chandakr.

Queen City News rode the light rail during the midday hours on a Friday, covering about 20 stops, and didn’t see a single security officer during that hour-long trip.

CATS facing security shortages

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) says it’s aware of the concerns and is working to increase safety. Currently, they’re short 35 officers from their full contract of 219, which they fill through a private security firm.

CATS also said their security teams are not stationed at every stop or on every train or bus. Instead, they are spread throughout the transit system and are also tasked with fare enforcement. Officials noted they do not believe Brown had a valid ticket when he boarded.

Charlotte