{"id":43689,"date":"2025-10-07T12:36:56","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T12:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689"},"modified":"2025-10-07T12:36:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T12:36:56","slug":"irynas-law-could-bring-back-the-firing-squad-for-accused-killer-of-ukrainian-refugee","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Iryna\u2019s Law\u2019 could bring back the firing squad for accused killer of Ukrainian refugee"},"content":{"rendered":"

North Carolina could see its first execution in nearly two decades and possibly by firing squad, under a new law inspired by the brutal murder of\u00a0Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska<\/strong>, whose tragic death shook the nation.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Governor\u00a0Josh Stein<\/strong>\u00a0signed\u00a0\u201cIryna\u2019s Law\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0on Friday, a sweeping criminal justice reform named in honor of 23-year-old Zarutska, who was fatally stabbed in the neck on a Charlotte light rail train in August.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Her accused killer,\u00a0Decarlos Brown Jr.<\/strong>, 34, was captured on surveillance footage attacking Zarutska in a chilling, unprovoked act that sparked public outrage and bipartisan demands for harsher penalties for violent offenders.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Now, under the new law, Brown could become one of the first people in the state to face\u00a0capital punishment by firing squad<\/strong>\u00a0if convicted.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Iryna Zarutska, 23, was fatally stabbed on a Charlotte light rail train in August. (Instagram)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Return of the Death Penalty<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Execution has been suspended in North Carolina since 2006, but Iryna\u2019s Law, formally\u00a0House Bill 307<\/strong>, paves the way for its return. It includes an amendment paving the way for North Carolina to resume capital punishment,\u00a0which could permit firing squads in the future,\u00a0<\/strong>though lethal injection remains the only legal method for now.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

If carried out, it would place North Carolina alongside just\u00a0five U.S. states<\/strong>, Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah, where firing squads are still authorized.<\/p>\n

Currently, the state has\u00a0122 inmates on death row<\/strong>, but none have been executed in nearly 20 years.<\/p>\n

Cracking Down on Repeat Offenders<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The legislation also targets\u00a0repeat and violent offenders<\/strong>, like Brown, who had been arrested more than a dozen times since 2011, by\u00a0blocking violent and repeat offenders from receiving cashless bail<\/strong>\u00a0and mandating mental health evaluations before release.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\"\"
Suspect Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, faces federal and state charges. (WBTV)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brown\u2019s family has long said he suffered from\u00a0schizophrenia<\/strong>, yet court records show that a psychiatric evaluation ordered in\u00a0July 2025<\/strong>\u00a0was\u00a0never completed before Zarutska\u2019s killing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Governor Stein said the bill would\u00a0\u201calert the judiciary to take a special look at people who may pose unusual risks of violence before determining their bail,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>calling that aspect\u00a0\u201ca good thing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Controversy Over the Firing Squad<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Still, Stein condemned the addition of firing squads to the bill as\u00a0\u201cbarbaric.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0While the law opens the door to their use, the governor vowed he would\u00a0refuse to authorize<\/strong>\u00a0the method during his term, which ends in 2029.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\"\"
Friends remembered Iryna as kind, creative, and full of promise. (WBTV)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even so, the change has reignited national debate, especially after\u00a0former President Donald Trump<\/strong>\u00a0weighed in, calling for the ultimate punishment for Brown.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine \u2026 should be given a \u2018Quick\u2019 Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Trump wrote on Truth Social.\u00a0\u201cThere can be no other option!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

A Life Cut Short<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Zarutska, who had fled the war in Ukraine seeking peace and safety in the U.S., was remembered by friends as kind, creative, and full of promise. Her senseless killing reignited public fury over criminal leniency and mental health failures in the justice system.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

As Brown faces\u00a0both federal and state charges<\/strong>, Iryna\u2019s Law stands as both a memorial and a message meant to protect future victims, even as it reopens one of America\u2019s most divisive debates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

North Carolina could see its first execution in nearly two decades and possibly by firing squad, under a new law inspired by the brutal murder of\u00a0Ukrainian refugee… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43690,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-43689","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018Iryna\u2019s Law\u2019 could bring back the firing squad for accused killer of Ukrainian refugee - POPULARNEWS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Iryna\u2019s Law\u2019 could bring back the firing squad for accused killer of Ukrainian refugee - POPULARNEWS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"North Carolina could see its first execution in nearly two decades and possibly by firing squad, under a new law inspired by the brutal murder of\u00a0Ukrainian refugee...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"POPULARNEWS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/557972460_778634438309819_3844101888796787812_n.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"504\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"565\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/?page_id=43689\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/?page_id=43689\",\"name\":\"\u2018Iryna\u2019s Law\u2019 could bring back the firing squad for accused killer of Ukrainian refugee - POPULARNEWS\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/?page_id=43689#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/?page_id=43689#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/557972460_778634438309819_3844101888796787812_n.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-07T12:36:56+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/?page_id=43689#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/?page_id=43689\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/?page_id=43689#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/557972460_778634438309819_3844101888796787812_n.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/557972460_778634438309819_3844101888796787812_n.jpg\",\"width\":504,\"height\":565},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/?page_id=43689#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u2018Iryna\u2019s Law\u2019 could bring back the firing squad for accused killer of Ukrainian refugee\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/\",\"name\":\"POPULARNEWS\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/popularnews.pw\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u2018Iryna\u2019s Law\u2019 could bring back the firing squad for accused killer of Ukrainian refugee - POPULARNEWS","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u2018Iryna\u2019s Law\u2019 could bring back the firing squad for accused killer of Ukrainian refugee - POPULARNEWS","og_description":"North Carolina could see its first execution in nearly two decades and possibly by firing squad, under a new law inspired by the brutal murder of\u00a0Ukrainian refugee...","og_url":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689","og_site_name":"POPULARNEWS","og_image":[{"width":504,"height":565,"url":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/557972460_778634438309819_3844101888796787812_n.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689","url":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689","name":"\u2018Iryna\u2019s Law\u2019 could bring back the firing squad for accused killer of Ukrainian refugee - POPULARNEWS","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/557972460_778634438309819_3844101888796787812_n.jpg","datePublished":"2025-10-07T12:36:56+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/557972460_778634438309819_3844101888796787812_n.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/557972460_778634438309819_3844101888796787812_n.jpg","width":504,"height":565},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=43689#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u2018Iryna\u2019s Law\u2019 could bring back the firing squad for accused killer of Ukrainian refugee"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/#website","url":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/","name":"POPULARNEWS","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/43689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=43689"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/43689\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43691,"href":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/43689\/revisions\/43691"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/43690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}