A suspected homicide near a Charlotte light-rail station rekindled crime fears that have plagued officials since the August gruesome caught-on-video murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said Zephaniah Adewale Little Rivers, 23, was found at about 6:30 p.m. Monday near the Norfolk Southern train tracks with a gunshot wound. He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Preliminary reports indicated the shooting followed an altercation at a nearby business and that the victim did not know the suspect. Authorities have not named a suspect.
The crime scene is near the Archdale light-rail station and just four stops south of the station where Zarutska was stabbed two months ago in an unprovoked attack that shocked the nation. Her accused assailant, Decarlos Brown Jr., had been arrested and released 14 times prior and had a history of mental illness.
The uproar over Zarutska’s murder prompted a new state law known as “Iryna’s Law” that modified pretrial release conditions — notably ending cashless bail for potentially violent offenders, expediting death-penalty appeals to within two years of filing and reintroducing the firing squad as an execution alternative.
The Charlotte‒Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police also sent a letter to President Trump requesting federal aid and deployment of the National Guard due to staffing shortages.
“Despite statistical progress, violent crime continues to be a daily reality in Charlotte,” it said, citing 15 homicides in the month following Ms. Zarutska’s death.
“The need for immediate, tangible support has never been more urgent,” the letter said.
Just days before Mr. Rivers was killed, the FOP in a Facebook post warned that crime problems persist and expressed “growing frustration with the lack of response from city leaders.”
In the case of Mr. Rivers’ killing, the circumstances of the altercation are likely to weigh heavily on the case.
A man matching the name and age of the victim was booked on a series of charges, including communicating threats, trespassing and resisting arrest on Sept. 28. It was unclear whether he posted the $25,000 bail listed on the booking records or was released for other reasons.
Voting records also show that Mr. Rivers was registered to vote in the District of Columbia at an address matching that of Pathways to Housing. The organization, which has since relocated, states on its website that its mission is to “end homelessness and support recovery for people with complex health challenges.”
Earlier this month, Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, signed Iryna’s Law after what Republicans called an unacceptable 10-day delay.
The governor praised the GOP-led legislature for the effort while criticizing parts of the bill as “barbaric” and saying others did not go far enough. He called on the lawmakers to reconvene and pass a more comprehensive public-safety package.
“Let’s roll up our sleeves, actually tackle tough issues head-on, and put in place effective solutions to make North Carolina families safer. Let’s get to work,” he said at the time.
Critics questioned the commitment of the governor and other left-wing lawmakers, who did little to push back on “defund the police” initiatives and other anti-police policies that were implemented after the 2020 Black Lives Matter uprising over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.
• Ben Sellers can be reached at bsellers@washingtontimes.com.
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