Who Is Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles? Age, Family, Ethnicity, Career — and Why Many Want Her to Resign

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles is facing calls to resign after issuing comments that critics say showed more empathy for a mentally ill career criminal than for his victim — a Ukrainian refugee savagely stabbed on a city train.

Who is Vi Lyles?

Born in Columbia, South Carolina, in September 1952, Viola Alexander Lyles is 72 years old. She was raised in a middle-class African-American family — her father owned a construction company and her mother worked as a schoolteacher. From an early age, Lyles was drawn to community involvement and public service.

She pursued higher education in North Carolina, earning a bachelor's degree in political science from Queens University of Charlotte and later a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Lyles began her professional life within city government, working her way up as a budget analyst, budget director and then assistant city manager for Charlotte.

Vi Lyles has two children from her first marriage to Wayne Alexander, who passed away in 1987. One of her daughters, Aisha Alexander‑Young, is a community organiser and nonprofit executive. Lyles later remarried to John Lyles, who died in 2013. Her experiences as a widow and single mother have shaped her public narrative and inspired her focus on inclusive city development.

A Trailblazer in Charlotte Politics

In 2017, Lyles made history as Charlotte's first Black female mayor. She has since been re-elected three times, most recently in 2023 with a commanding majority. Known for her pragmatic and consensus-building approach, Lyles has led initiatives around affordable housing, racial equity, infrastructure investment and community policing.

Her administration has also focused heavily on development projects and maintaining Charlotte's status as one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S.

The Controversy: Murder on the Transit Line

Public criticism erupted after Lyles commented on a tragic stabbing that occurred on the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). The victim, Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, was brutally murdered on camera by a man later identified as Decarlos Brown Jr. — a mentally ill, unhoused repeat offender.

In her initial statement, Lyles said: 'This is a tragic situation that sheds light on problems with society safety nets related to mental healthcare and the systems that should be in place.'

She referred to the attacker as someone who 'appears to have suffered a crisis' and noted that Charlotte's transit network is 'by and large a safe transit system.' She continued, 'We will never arrest our way out of issues such as homelessness and mental health', adding that she was 'not villainizing those who struggle with their mental health or those who are unhoused.'

She further stated, 'Mental health needs to be treated with the same compassion, diligence and commitment as cancer and heart disease', and concluded with a plea to 'do better for those members of our community who need help and have no place to go.'

Public Backlash and Calls to Resign

The mayor's failure to mention Brown's extensive criminal record — or to centre the victim in her remarks — sparked a torrent of criticism online. 'The Charlotte Mayor should resign. Her number one role is to keep her people safe', wrote one user on X.

Another stated, 'Violent, mentally ill people should be off the streets in jail or in a mental health facility, period. They should not be free to stab innocent people to death on public transportation.'

A third critic added, 'A woman is stabbed in the throat, and the mayor's response is "more compassion" for the attacker. This is why crime keeps winning.'

Bipartisan Solution

Following the backlash, Lyles released a second statement in which she struck a firmer tone on public safety. 'Our police officers arrest people only to have them quickly released, which undermines our ability to protect our community and ensure safety', she said.

She called for a 'bipartisan solution' to keep repeat offenders and untreated individuals with severe mental illnesses off the streets.

She also announced enhanced security measures across the transit system. 'Effective immediately, CATS security personnel will be re-deployed for a stronger presence on Blue Line platforms and to increase fare enforcement. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department will also be increasing patrols at key areas across the transit system.'

What Comes Next

Vi Lyles' position as mayor is not currently under any formal recall or legal challenge, but the political pressure is mounting. Her legacy as a barrier-breaking public servant may now be overshadowed by what some view as a dangerous failure to prioritise public safety over ideology.

Whether she weathers this political storm or bows to public pressure remains to be seen. But in a city grappling with violent crime, housing insecurity, and mental health crises, the public's demand for accountability is louder than ever.