A recently passed law could see the man accused of killing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska face an exceptionally rare form of execution if convicted.
Zarutska, 23, was brutally murdered in broad daylight on August 22, sparking outrage and calls for severe punishment from across the U.S. and abroad. Having fled the war in Ukraine, she had sought safety in America — only to fall victim to a horrifying attack while riding the Charlotte Area Transit System.
Disturbing video footage from the train, which quickly spread online, showed a man seated behind Zarutska stand up, move past her, and then suddenly stab her in the neck three times in a frenzied assault.
The attacker was identified as 31-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., a repeat offender with at least 14 prior arrests. Despite witnesses’ desperate attempts to save her, Zarutska was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the killing, lawmakers in North Carolina introduced House Bill 307, known as “Iryna’s Law.” The legislation was passed with strong bipartisan support and signed into law by Democratic Governor Josh Stein on October 3.
According to The New York Post, the bill includes an amendment that could reinstate the death penalty in the state — including the use of firing squads, a punishment method not used in North Carolina in modern times.
Governor Stein explained that the new law requires judges to carefully review whether a suspect poses an unusual risk of violence before granting bail. “That’s a good thing and why I have signed it into law,” Stein said.
However, he made clear his opposition to firing squads as an execution method, assuring the public: “There will be no firing squads in North Carolina during my time as governor.”
At present, lethal injection remains the state’s only authorized execution method.