Despite the shocking nature of the crime, the incident has seen no coverage on the websites of mainstream outlets such as the Associated Press, CNN, or The New York Times.
Critics are calling out major news outlets for a lack of coverage of the fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee in North Carolina by a career criminal with a lengthy history of violent offenses.
The victim, Iryna “Ira” Zarutska, fled Ukraine due to the ongoing war but was brutally killed late at night while riding a light rail in Charlotte. Surveillance footage released by transit officials, which has since gone viral, shows the suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr, sitting behind Zarutska before suddenly stabbing her in the neck multiple times. He then walked away as blood dripped from the knife and his hands.
Brown, who has been charged with first-degree murder, has a criminal record stretching back years that includes violent crimes and mental health issues known to law enforcement. Many have questioned why he was free in the first place.
Despite the shocking nature of the crime, the incident has seen little to no coverage on the websites of mainstream outlets such as the Associated Press, CNN, or The New York Times. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles suggested some outlets avoided showing the footage out of “respect” for the victim’s family, but many of these organizations have not reported on the killing at all.
“The video of the heartbreaking attack that took Iryna Zarutska’s life is now public,” the mayor said in a statement. “I want to thank our media partners and community members who have chosen not to repost or share the footage out of respect for Iryna’s family.”
On social media, users have condemned the lack of attention, with some drawing comparisons to the heavy coverage of cases like George Floyd or Jordan Neely, arguing the response differs depending on the races of those involved.
X owner Elon Musk also weighed in, responding to a post comparing the New York Times’ extensive coverage of Daniel Penny, the man who restrained Neely on a New York subway, with its silence on Zarutska’s killing.
“No one commits narrative crimes like NY Times. They are the best,” Musk posted.
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