Ukrainian Woman Killed On Train Sparks Man's Gunpoint Memory In Chicago — Is Trump Right About Military Deployment?

The brutal killing of a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte train has collided with an old gunpoint memory in Chicago, reigniting fierce debate over Donald Trump's call to deploy military forces in America's crime-ridden cities.

Ukrainian Refugee Killed on Train

On 22 August 2025, 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, who had fled Ukraine with her family in 2022, was stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail train.

She had rebuilt her life in the United States, working at Zepeddie's Pizzeria and aspiring to become a veterinary assistant. Friends described her as a gifted artist who had quickly adapted to her new home.

That evening, surveillance footage showed Zarutska scrolling on her phone when 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. suddenly pulled out a knife and slashed her throat.

Witnesses screamed as she collapsed. Police confirmed there had been no interaction between them beforehand.

Brown's criminal history stretched back to 2011, with arrests for robbery, larceny, and threats. His family said he had schizophrenia and believed people could read his mind. After the attack, his sister recalled him saying, 'Because she was reading my mind.' His mother added: 'The system failed him.'

Despite his violent past, Brown had been released earlier in the year after a minor arrest. A White House statement later condemned the courts, saying he had been 'free to slaughter an innocent woman' because of systemic failures.

Professor Remembers Gunpoint Experience

Zarutska's death revived memories for Stephen Kleinschmit, a Northwestern University professor, who narrowly escaped death on Chicago's Blue Line in 2021.

'He didn't rob me. He just laughed as I cried, then moved to another car,' Kleinschmit wrote afterwards of the masked man who pressed a gun to his head, as reported by The Hindustan Times.

He later admitted the incident left him scarred, triggering panic attacks whenever anyone walked between train cars.

Is Chicago Really Dangerous?

For Kleinschmit, the Charlotte killing underscored his own fears about urban violence. He has long argued that official crime statistics cannot be trusted, insisting many cases go unreported or misclassified.

'This is the reality of living in downtown Chicago,' he said, pointing to gang fights, assaults, and harassment he had witnessed firsthand. He added that many residents avoid going out after dark.

He also blasted city leadership: 'This mayoral administration, like the ones that preceded it, punishes good people and rewards the bad.'

His proposed solutions include more police, federal intervention, and tougher penalties for violent offenders.

Should Trump Deploy Troops?

In the wake of Zarutska's murder, President Donald Trump called Brown 'a madman, a lunatic,' saying the crime was 'not really watchable because it's so horrible.'

He argued that extreme crimes demand extreme responses.

The administration has framed the case as evidence of local justice failures, claiming it bolsters Trump's push to send the National Guard and federal officers into America's cities.

Chicago, he has repeatedly said, is the worst example of violent crime under Democratic leadership.

Trump's plan would expand National Guard operations and intensify federal law enforcement. Kleinschmit's testimony about Chicago's dangers has become part of the case for action.

Whether deploying troops will truly reduce violence remains highly contested. But after Zarutska's tragic death and renewed fears in Chicago, Trump's proposal is once again at the centre of America's fight over crime and safety.