By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
WASHINGTON/CHARLOTTE (Worthy News) – After years of “Black Lives Matter” campaigns, former White House adviser Elon Musk is questioning whether White lives matter too, saying there has been a muted media response to the brutal killing of a young Ukrainian refugee by a black man in the United States.
Iryna Zarutska, 23, a blonde aspiring model who fled Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was fatally stabbed last month aboard a light-rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, while traveling home from her shift at a local restaurant.
Police said she was attacked without provocation by Decarlos Brown Jr., 35, a homeless man with a lengthy criminal record and documented mental health issues, including schizophrenia. He has been charged with first-degree murder.
Footage reviewed by Worthy News shows the suspect, armed with a knife, suddenly lunging at Zarutska from behind as she sat quietly in the train car.
The video has circulated online but has received little attention from major U.S. networks or Democratic leaders, drawing accusations of double standards in coverage.
“This horrifying crime would have dominated headlines for weeks if the victim’s or suspect’s race had been reversed,” Musk said on his social platform X. He added that the case raises broader questions about selective outrage in American media and politics.
SAFETY CONCERNS
The killing has rattled Charlotte’s Ukrainian community and intensified scrutiny of public transit safety. The Charlotte Area Transit System pledged more security staff and surveillance upgrades in response.
Zarutska’s death has also reignited debate over how U.S. authorities handle repeat offenders and mentally ill suspects. Brown Jr. had been arrested at least 14 times previously, according to court records.
Conservatives, including Musk and Republican lawmakers, say the muted coverage contrasts with the saturation reporting of crimes involving minority victims. They argue that ignoring Zarutska’s story undermines public trust and fuels perceptions of political bias in newsrooms.
Her family, still grieving the loss of a daughter who came to the U.S. seeking safety and opportunity, has urged Americans not to forget her.
Former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Secretary Musk underscored what he described as media bias. He reshared a post on his social media platform X, counting how many articles major outlets had written about the stabbing, adding the comment: “Zero.”
The post showed that The Associated Press (AP) news agency was involved in 74,221 AP articles about George Floyd, the black man killed by police, and “O AP articles about Iryna Zarutska.”
The alleged murder of a white woman by a black man has also drawn many responses from the far right.
YOUNG WOMAN
At the same time, those who knew Iryna expressed their horror that a young woman who escaped the war in her country in 2022 could have met such a sickening end in the United States.
When attacked, Zarutska was still wearing her work uniform from Zepeddie’s Pizza, a Charlotte restaurant. The pizzeria paid an emotional tribute in the wake of her death.
“Recently, our Zepeddie’s family suffered a tremendous loss. We lost not only an incredible employee, but a true friend. Our dear Iryna left this world far too soon, and our hearts are heavy with grief,” the restaurant wrote in a statement on Instagram.
“Since her passing, we have kept a candle burning in her memory — a small reminder of the warmth, kindness, and light she brought into our lives every single day.”
Brown, who is homeless, has more than a dozen convictions dating back to 2014, court records show. He served five years for a 2014 armed robbery and was released in September 2020, before being arrested just five months later for assaulting his sister at her home in Charlotte.
Despite his lengthy rap sheet, Brown was free on the streets when he allegedly carried out the murder. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department did not comment on why he had been able to freely roam the streets in search of his next victim.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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