Iryna Zarutska murder: GoFundMe responds to fundraisers for Decarlos Brown Jr, ‘Donors who contributed…’

GoFundMe has responded after donation pages were reportedly set up for Decarlos Brown Jr., the 34-year-old career criminal accused of stabbing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska to death on a Charlotte light rail train on August 22. The GoFundMe in support of the suspect sparked outrage on social media, with Netizens sharing screenshots of more than one fundraiser for Brown.

GoFundMe told the Washington Examiner that one page has been taken down. “GoFundMe’s Terms of Service explicitly prohibit fundraisers that raise money for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with an alleged violent crime,” a statement read. “Consistent with this long-standing policy, this fundraiser has been removed from the platform and the donors who contributed to the fundraiser have been fully refunded.”

The murder of Iryna Zarutska

Zarutska, who had fled her war-torn home to seek safety in the United States, was ambushed and killed by Brown on the Lynx Blue Line. Surveillance footage of the moments before and after the attack has been released by the Charlotte Area Transit System or CATS. The video was widely shared on social media, but has been edited to remove the exact moment Zarutska was stabbed.

Brown had been arrested several times in the past. He has been charged with first-degree murder after Zarutska’s death. His lengthy rap sheet includes larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and communicating threats. The homeless man once served five years in prison for the robbery with a deadly weapon charge, according to WSOC-TV.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles called Zarutska’s murder a “senseless and tragic loss,” according to WCNC. “My prayers remain with her loved ones as they continue to grieve through an unimaginable time. Like so many of you, I’m heartbroken — and I’ve been thinking hard about what safety really looks like in our city. I remain committed to doing all we can to protect our residents and ensure Charlotte is a place where everyone feels safe,” Lyles said.