North Carolina could soon see its first execution in nearly twenty years—and possibly by firing squad—under a new criminal justice reform known as “Iryna’s Law.” The measure was signed into law Friday by Governor Josh Stein, following the brutal killing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, whose death sent shockwaves through the state.
Zarutska was fatally stabbed in the neck while riding a Charlotte light rail train in August. Surveillance video captured the horrifying, unprovoked attack by Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, igniting public outrage and bipartisan calls for tougher punishment for violent offenders.
If convicted, Brown could become one of the first in the state eligible for execution by firing squad under the new provisions.
A Return to Capital Punishment
North Carolina has not carried out an execution since 2006. Iryna’s Law, formally known as House Bill 307, reopens the path for the death penalty’s return. While lethal injection remains the only approved method for now, the bill adds language that could permit firing squads in the future.
Should the method be implemented, North Carolina would join just five states—Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah—that still authorize firing squads. The state currently has 122 inmates on death row, none of whom have been executed in nearly two decades.
Cracking Down on Repeat Offenders
Beyond capital punishment, the new law also takes aim at repeat and violent offenders. It prevents those with violent records from qualifying for cashless bail and requires mandatory mental health evaluations before release.
Brown, who has been arrested more than a dozen times since 2011, reportedly suffers from schizophrenia. Court documents reveal that a psychiatric evaluation ordered in July 2025 was never completed before Zarutska’s murder.
Governor Stein emphasized that the law would push judges to “take a special look at individuals who may pose significant risks of violence before deciding on bail,” calling that reform “a positive step forward.”
The Firing Squad Controversy
Despite signing the bill, Stein sharply criticized the firing squad amendment, describing it as “barbaric.” He vowed not to authorize its use during his term, which runs through 2029.
Nevertheless, the inclusion has reignited a national conversation about the morality and necessity of capital punishment. Former President Donald Trump weighed in on social media, calling for the harshest possible penalty for Brown:
“The ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine … should be given a ‘Quick’ Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “There can be no other option!”
Remembering Iryna
Friends remember Zarutska as a kind, creative young woman who fled the war in Ukraine searching for peace in America. Her senseless death has fueled fresh outrage over leniency in the justice system and the ongoing failures surrounding mental health treatment.
As Brown faces both state and federal charges, Iryna’s Law stands as both a memorial and a warning—a promise to protect future victims, even as it reopens one of the nation’s most divisive debates: how far justice should go.
