GoFundMe shuts down fundraisers for accused killer of Ukrainian refugee in North Carolina

The fundraisers for Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr. drew a huge wave of backlash after suggesting the suspect was as much a victim as Zarutska and blaming the state’s judicial and mental health systems. One page described the campaign as an effort to “fight against the racism and bias against our people," the New York Post reports.

“While what happened on the Blue Line was a tragedy, what we mustn’t lose sight of is the fact that Decarlos Brown Jr. was failed categorically by the judicial system and the mental health services of North Carolina,” one fundraiser said. Another claimed donations would “assist with legal fees” and help “push against this corrupt narrative.”

The backlash escalated after video footage of the August 22 attack showed a man pulling out a pocket knife and stabbing Zarutska multiple times as she sat on the train. “What kind of sick human is donating to this monster? GoFundMe should be ashamed,” said one critic.

GoFundMe confirmed it deleted the campaigns and refunded donors. “GoFundMe’s Terms of Service explicitly prohibit fundraisers that raise money for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with an alleged violent crime,” the platform said in a statement.

Brown, who is homeless and has a criminal record dating back to 2014, is charged with murder in connection with Zarutska’s death.

Some, including mainstream media outlets, continue to attempt to paint Brown in a softer light or have refused to report on the story at all. Blame has been assigned to everyone besides the suspect, as seen in a recent Axios' report, which put the blame on “MAGA influencers" who are "seeking to elevate the issue of violent urban crime." The outlet ran the article on Monday following the weekend release of surveillance video.

The article, called "Stabbing video fuels MAGA's crime message," says that "MAGA influencers are drawing repeated attention to violent attacks to elevate the issue of urban crime—and accuse mainstream media of under-covering shocking cases." The accusation that mainstream and legacy media outlets were either downplaying or not covering the gruesome murder of Zarutska was made repeatedly on social media.