Iryna Zarutska stabbing

Mecklenburg County Commissioners and law enforcement leaders weighed in on the impacts of Iryna’s law which begins Monday.

After the rushed passage of a law that could funnel more people into the involuntary commitment process, House lawmakers hear concerns from doctors and hospital leaders.

Ridership on the Lynx Blue Line fell 10% in September compared to the same month in 2024. The city was shocked by the Aug. 22 murder of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on the light rail.

Decarlos Brown Jr., the man charged with stabbing Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte light rail, suffered from schizophrenic delusions and poor mental health since his release from prison in 2020, according to his family. The case shows how the state struggles to contain and treat mentally ill people who may pose a risk to the public.

The stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail renewed conversations about the need for mental health treatment and led some leaders to examine the involuntary commitment process for people who pose a danger to themselves and others. A crime bill recently passed by the legislature takes steps in that direction and we examine how the involuntary commitment process works and where it might go wrong.

As Decarlos Brown Jr.’s competency is evaluated, he is one of a rising number of defendants in North Carolina caught in a system that struggles to keep pace with court-ordered mental health evaluations and treatment.

The General Assembly passed the legislation in response to the widely publicized murder of Iryna Zarutska on board a Charlotte light rail car.

The Charlotte Area Transit System showed off some of its new security initiatives Friday, introducing new patrol vehicles that people will see around transit properties, during a news conference attended by Mayor Vi Lyles and City Manager Marcus Jones.

Citing concerns about a wave of homicides in the past six weeks, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police is requesting that the National Guard be deployed to Charlotte.

A U.S. House subcommittee holds a hearing in Charlotte about crime and safety, state auditor Dave Boliek publishes a report on CATS security, Gov. Josh Stein calls on the General Assembly to make up a shortfall on Medicaid, and the impact of the federal government on North Carolina.