GoFundMe pulls fundraisers for felon accused of killing commuter in random Charlotte train attack
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GoFundMe said that it removed multiple fundraising campaigns created on behalf of Decarlos Brown Jr., the ex-convict accused of stabbing and killing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska aboard a Charlotte, North Carolina, light-rail train.

“GoFundMe’s Terms of Service explicitly prohibit fundraisers for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with a violent crime. Consistent with this long-standing policy, all fundraisers for Decarlos Brown Jr.’s legal defense have been removed from the platform, and any donors have been fully refunded,” a company spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

According to information reviewed by Fox News Digital, the campaigns were taken down within hours of being flagged. GoFundMe declined to specify how many pages were removed but emphasized that it actively scans for and blocks attempts to launch campaigns on behalf of individuals facing violent charges.

The company’s action followed social media backlash over the fundraisers, with critics turning to social media to lambaste the fundraiser for the murder suspect as “an insult” to the 23-year-old victim.

Around four minutes later, the man pulls out a knife and begins stabbing Zarutska three times, including in the neck. According to the affidavit, Zarutska was stabbed in the middle of her throat. 

He is charged with first-degree murder under North Carolina law and is being held without bond. 

Records obtained by Fox News Digital reveal that Brown has a lengthy criminal history spanning more than a decade. His convictions include larceny and breaking and entering in 2013, as well as a 2015 conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon, for which he served more than six years in prison. He was released in 2020 and remained on parole until 2021. More recent charges included communicating threats and misuse of the 911 system earlier this year.

Iryna Zarutska

Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska came to the U.S. to escape war but was stabbed to death in Charlotte. (EVGENIYA RUSH on GoFundMe)

While campaigns to raise money for Brown’s defense have been shut down, a separate, verified fundraiser supporting Zarutska’s family remains active on GoFundMe. 

The stabbing death on public transportation has renewed calls for increased public safety across cities in America.

President Donald Trump mentioned the stabbing during remarks at the Museum of the Bible.

“We’re all people of religion, but there are evil people,” Trump said. “And we have to confront that. I just give my love and hope to the family of the young woman who was stabbed this morning or last night in Charlotte by a madman.”

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.

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