Charlotte, North Carolina, Mayor Vi Lyles has recently come under fire for her shocking take on the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.
Decarlos Brown Jr. is being held on first-degree murder charges for allegedly slaying the 23-year-old woman while riding the South End light rail train in late August. But to hear Lyles tell it, they’re both victims; Zarutska of random violence and Brown Jr. of a failing system.
Her statement, which critics are calling tone-deaf, appears to blame homelessness and mental health for the shocking attack, saying she believes that the suspect had “suffered a crisis.”
“This is a tragic situation that sheds light on problems with society and safety nets related to mental healthcare and the systems that should be in place. As we come to understand what happened and why, we must look at the entire situation,” the statement reads. “While I do not know the specifics of the man’s medical record, what I have come to understand is that he has long struggled with mental health and appears to have suffered a crisis. This was the unfortunate and tragic outcome. While there are questions about the safety and security of our transit system and our city, I do know that there have been significant and sustained efforts to address safety within our transit system and across our city.”
“Charlotte is, by and large, a safe city. CATS, by and large, is a safe transit system. However, tragic incidents like these should force us to look at what we are doing across our community to address root causes,” the statement continues. “We will never arrest our way out of issues such as homelessness and mental health. I am committed to doing the hard work with Mecklenburg County, community leaders, healthcare service providers, and the private sector to ensure that Charlotte continues to be one of the best cities in the world, with the highest quality of life for everyone.”
Lyles goes on to make it “clear that I am not villainizing those who struggle with their mental health or those who are unhoused,” so as not to upset any leftists who might be reading.
“Mental health disease is just that – a disease like any other that needs to be treated with the same compassion, diligence, and commitment as cancer or heart disease. Our community must work to address the underlying issue of access to mental healthcare,” she adds.
To add insult to injury, she makes sure to add that homeless people are “more frequently the victim of crimes and not the perpetrators,” as if that might be of some small comfort to the victims of violent crimes committed by someone who happens to live on the street.
Needless to say, this statement bombed on social media:
The only people who deserve compassion are Iryna and her family.
— Damon Strong (@DamonStrong) September 8, 2025
Remember?
Boston officials are in mourning tonight because a police officer did his job. Mayor Michelle Wu offered her thoughts and prayers to the guy with the knife.
This seems to be the growing theme with Democrat Mayors.— DOCOSU63 (@OSUDOC63) September 8, 2025
You know who really suffered a crisis? The woman with a knife in her neck.
— The Alpha Cow (@Marcus_Porcius2) September 8, 2025
“We will never arrest our way out of issues such as homelessness and mental health”
HE WAS ARRESTED 14 TIMES
— Fruitless Metropolitan (@RinseHold) September 8, 2025
The progressives have destroyed what remains of the dem party. Where are all the flag in bio people?
— President Lynn Pizza (@Sharks4U) September 8, 2025
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Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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