Lyles denounced Iryna Zarutska’s killing on a light rail in Charlotte last month as ‘a tragic failure by the courts and magistrates.’
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles won the Democratic mayoral primary on Sept. 9, paving the way for her reelection bid in the November municipal general election.
Lyles secured the Democratic nomination with a commanding 70.75 percent of the vote, according to unofficial primary results from North Carolina’s board of elections.
Other Democratic contenders were Brendan Maginnis, who gained 12.19 percent of the vote, Jaraun “Gemini” Boyd (10 percent), Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel (4.2 percent), and Delter Kenny Guin (2.83 percent).
Lyles, first elected to the post in 2017, is seeking a fifth term, with her current tenure set to expire at the end of the year. She will face Terrie Donovan, the Republican candidate who faced no primary opposition.
Lyles has not issued a statement following her primary victory, which came amid public outcry over the stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a light rail last month in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Critics have said the death of Zarutska, 23, could have been prevented, and they blamed officials for failing to keep a man with a history of mental illness, arrests, and erratic behavior off the streets before he killed her.
The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, had served time in prison, been briefly committed for schizophrenia, and was arrested earlier this year after repeatedly calling 911 from a hospital, but was later released, according to court records.
In a Sept. 9 statement, Lyles denounced Zarutska’s killing as “a tragic failure by the courts and magistrates,” pointing out that police arrest offenders only to see them quickly released.
“We need a bipartisan solution to address repeat offenders who do not face consequences for their actions and those who cannot get treatment for their mental illness and are allowed to be on the streets,” she stated.
“I want to assure the community that we are taking action, and we will continue to take action.”
The mayor emphasized the city’s readiness to partner at the local, state, and federal levels.
