“If the mayor is unable to ensure safety on trains and buses, it shouldn’t receive taxpayer funding,” stated Department of Transport (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy, who revealed that the DOT is looking into a tragic stabbing incident in Charlotte.
“I fully support President Trump’s tough stance on crime, particularly regarding public transportation funded by federal DOT funds,” Duffy expressed on X.
Let’s revitalize our city! :
“If the mayor can’t ensure the safety of trains and buses, it shouldn’t receive taxpayer dollars. @usdot will investigate Charlotte for failing to protect Irina Zalzka.
“I was moved by the residents of Charlotte today. ‘I don’t feel safe on public transport, but I need to get to work.’ It’s not fair to put Americans in that position, and the Trump administration will do everything possible to change that,” he added.
Duffy’s remarks come after a horrific murder on August 22nd. The victim, identified as 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, was fatally stabbed on the Lynx Blue Line Light Rail System at East/West Boulevard Station. DeCarlos Brown Jr., 34, a repeat offender with a prior criminal history, has been named as a suspect and charged with murder.
WSOC reporter Joe Bruno mentioned that the suspect’s mother described his actions as “severe, horrifying and wrong,” adding that he began “saying strange things” after serving more than five years in prison for armed robbery.
Many officials are questioning how the suspect, with dozens of mugshots, was allowed to remain free on the streets.
“I want to send my love and condolences to the family of the young woman who was stabbed… in Charlotte – at the hands of this madman,” President Donald Trump remarked regarding the brutal killing.
“It’s frightening in a way that’s hard to describe, but it feels so deeply unsettling. She was just sitting there,” he added. “They are truly evil individuals. We have to take control of this situation. If we can’t manage it, we risk losing our country.”
