The U.S. Justice Department has filed federal hate-crime charges against Decarlos Brown Jr., accused of fatally stabbing 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light-rail train.
Prosecutors say CCTV footage captured Brown shouting a racial slur during the attack, strengthening the hate-crime case.
Brown was already facing first-degree murder and mass-transit homicide charges.
The new counts could make him eligible for the death penalty.
President Donald Trump called Brown an “animal” and demanded execution, a stance echoed by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The killing has sparked outrage, intensifying debates over crime, transit safety, and justice for hate-based violence.