U.S. President Donald Trump's assertion during his February 24 State of the Union address that a fatal 2025 stabbing in Charlotte, North Carolina, involved a perpetrator who "came in through open borders" has been contradicted by official records. DeCarlos Brown, charged with killing 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, was born and raised in Charlotte, according to local authorities.
Court documents reveal Brown, 34, has a documented history of schizophrenia and had discontinued medication prior to the August 2025 attack. Police records show officers interacted with Brown months earlier after he reported delusions about implanted devices controlling him, though no preventive action was taken as he showed no immediate threat.
The Trump administration has repeatedly used surveillance footage of the attack to criticize Democratic crime policies, circulating posters juxtaposing Zarutska and Brown. While the Justice Department seeks life imprisonment or capital punishment for Brown, its filings omit reference to his mental health condition.
Zarutska, who fled Ukraine's conflict with Russia in 2022, had resettled in Charlotte through U.S. refugee programs. Her death has become a flashpoint in ongoing debates about immigration policy and mental health infrastructure.
