In the shimmering lights of a makeshift runway, Iryna Zarutska beamed with unbridled confidence, her graceful strides captivating onlookers who erupted in applause for the stunning young woman whose beauty could easily grace magazine covers. Described by those who knew her as model-worthy with a radiant smile and poised elegance, this poignant video—shared by her devastated boyfriend—captures what would become her last moments of joy on the catwalk, a fleeting celebration of dreams that now serve as a painful echo of a life cruelly extinguished. Fleeing the horrors of war in Ukraine, Iryna had arrived in America seeking safety and opportunity, only to meet a savage fate that has left her loved ones grappling with grief and a nation questioning the shadows lurking in everyday spaces.

Iryna Zarutska, just 23 years old, embodied resilience and aspiration. Born in Ukraine, she escaped the Russian invasion in 2022 alongside her mother, sister, and brother, leaving her father behind due to mobilization laws that barred men of fighting age from leaving. Settling in Huntersville, North Carolina, she quickly adapted, mastering English and channeling her creative talents into art and restoration after graduating from Synergy College in Kyiv. Her obituary paints a picture of a vibrant soul with a deep love for animals, often walking neighbors’ pets and dreaming of becoming a veterinary assistant. She enrolled at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College from 2023 to 2025, balancing studies with a job at Zepeddie’s Pizzeria in south Charlotte, where she worked diligently to support herself. Friends and family remember her kindness, creativity, and the lasting impressions she left, gifting artwork and spreading warmth wherever she went.

Her boyfriend, Stas Nikulytsia, whom she lived with starting in May 2025, taught her to drive after she purchased a Cadillac, symbolizing her budding independence. Videos he shared post-tragedy reveal a joyful life: dancing with friends, sipping cocktails, playing shuffleboard, and embracing American culture with laughter and affection. One clip shows her on that fateful runway, strutting confidently amid cheers, her beauty and poise hinting at untapped potential in modeling—a path friends like makeup artist Ulyana Kozlovska noted she had explored. These moments, now digitized relics, contrast sharply with the brutality that followed.

On August 22, 2025, after a late shift at the pizzeria, Iryna boarded Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line light rail around 9:46 p.m., dressed in her uniform, scrolling on her phone. Seated in front of 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., a homeless man with schizophrenia and over 14 prior arrests dating back to 2007—including robbery and larceny—she had no reason to suspect danger. Four minutes in, Brown allegedly pulled a folding knife from his hoodie and stabbed her three times from behind, including once in the neck. Surveillance footage, released by Charlotte Area Transit System on September 5, captures the unprovoked horror: Iryna clutching her neck as blood pooled, collapsing while passengers rushed to aid her, but she succumbed on the train. Brown exited at the next stop, discarding the knife nearby, and was arrested after hospital treatment for a hand laceration.

The random attack ignited national outrage, sparking debates on public safety, mental health, and criminal justice failures. Critics lambasted “soft-on-crime” policies for allowing Brown—a repeat offender—to roam free. Federal charges elevated the case to terrorism, making the death penalty possible. Political figures, including the White House, decried the incident as emblematic of urban crime woes. Iryna’s family opted against repatriating her body, holding a U.S. funeral her father couldn’t attend. A GoFundMe raised over $450,000, while tributes like murals and rapper DaBaby’s song “Save Me” honor her memory.

Stas’s shared video of her runway moment underscores the tragedy: a woman full of promise, reduced to memories amid unanswered questions about prevention. Iryna’s story—a refugee’s pursuit of the American dream shattered by senseless violence—urges reflection on safety for all, leaving a void where applause once rang.