A fatal stabbing on a North Carolina train that left Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska dead has drawn national attention — and now sparked controversy after CNN’s Van Jones appeared to show sympathy for the accused killer during a Monday night broadcast, as reported by The Western Journal.

Police say Zarutska, 23, was stabbed in the neck by 32-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. while riding home from work in Charlotte. Authorities have charged Brown in connection with the killing, which was captured in disturbing video that quickly circulated online.

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During an appearance on NewsNight with Abby Phillip, Jones criticized conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who had argued the crime was racially motivated.

“And for Charlie Kirk to say, ‘We know he did it because she’s white,’ when there’s no evidence of that, is just pure race mongering, hate mongering. It’s wrong,” Jones said.

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But Jones went further, shifting his remarks toward Brown, the accused attacker. “It’s not about cashless bail or no cashless bail, it’s about the fact that we don’t know how to deal with people who are hurting in the way this man was hurting. Hurt people hurt people,” Jones said.

His comments immediately drew criticism, given that police statements indicate Brown allegedly referenced the victim’s race after the stabbing, reportedly saying, “I got that white girl.”

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That detail has raised concerns that racial animus may have been a motivating factor in the attack.

Zarutska, who fled Ukraine for safety, was killed in Charlotte just months after settling in the United States. The shocking nature of the crime has fueled debate over public safety, immigration, and the role of mental illness in violent incidents.

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Jones argued that the focus should be on broader issues of social instability rather than on race.

“What happened was horrible, but it becomes an opportunity for people to jump on bandwagons, and then for someone like Charlie Kirk — he should be ashamed of himself. No one mentioned the word race, white, black, or anything except him. What people mentioned is the horror of what happened to this young woman,” Jones said.

The case remains under investigation as prosecutors prepare charges against Brown. Authorities have not confirmed whether they will pursue hate crime enhancements.

Zarutska’s death has reignited discussion about crime in major U.S. cities and the media’s handling of cases where racial identity is alleged to play a role.