Editor’s Note: Seeing the Humanity in Homelessness
We had just received Dr. Brian Klausner’s interview, In the Gaps: Better Understanding the Expensive Human Suffering of Chronic Homelessness, and his opinion commentary, Bridging Political Divides to Tackle the Worsening Social Crisis of Homelessness, when tragedy struck. On August 22, 2025, the killing of Iryna Zarutska — a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee fatally stabbed on a Charlotte, North Carolina train by Decarlos Brown, a man experiencing homelessness — brought into stark focus the urgency of his message. Iryna’s death painfully illustrates both the human cost of a fragmented social support system, untreated mental health challenges, and the consequences of a society growing desensitized to those living on the streets. Homelessness arises from intersecting forces — economic hardship, trauma, abuse, and untreated mental illness — and this tragic event underscores the need for renewed approaches that consider and confront these realities directly.
Iryna Zarutska’s life embodied hope and resilience: fleeing the horrors of war, she came to the United States, worked at a pizzeria, and attended college to build a future for her family. She was killed while doing something utterly mundane —riding a train. Decarlos Brown, her assailant, cycled through jail, homelessness, and psychiatric crises. His mental health deteriorated after release from prison; his family and social services tried — and failed — to get him treated. While the focus of the media was on Zarutska and safety gaps on public transit leaving her vulnerable, her death also ignited a debate over crime and safety. Less was said about Brown, homelessness.
On the heels of Iryna’s tragic murder, a national network news/commentary made headlines when one commentator opined that homeless people who refuse government services “should be locked up in jail.” The anchor co-host responded, “Or involuntary injection, or something. Just kill ‘em.” There was an outcry from many and four days later the anchor issued an apology saying his “…comments were callous and realized not all homeless are dangerous or mentally ill.”
771,000 people in the wealthiest country on earth are without a home on any given night. Dr. Klausner’s opinion commentary, indicates the current state of homelessness in America is not acceptable as too many Americans have grown accustomed to walking past individuals on the streets, numb to their humanity and their suffering. Looking the other way while feeling a tinge of guilt which quickly fades as the vision of the homeless person fades as well. The science of “dehumanization” is both fascinating and haunting — how our brains can quickly and reflexively dehumanize those suffering the most in our society to avoid the pain and feelings of empathy within ourselves. There’s a powerful book by Kevin Adler called “When We Walk By” documenting a study in which homeless men and women wore GoPro cameras to observe how passersby interacted with them was that children wanted to engage when they walked by. They asked their parents to stop and talk to the people on the street, but the parents told them to keep moving. That was sobering and moving.
In the words of Michael Jellison, who was homeless for ten years and became a recovery coach, reflecting on his own experience when he got off the street what he needed was food, shelter, work, school, community, and purpose. Isn’t’ that what we all need? The tragedies stem, in part then, from society’s neglect — inadequate mental health support, broken safety nets, and divisive rhetoric that dehumanizes victims and perpetrators alike. Too often, collective outrage turns to blame rather than problem-solving. Political battles overshadow personal tragedies. Supporting a homeless person requires a fundamental belief that people experiencing homelessness are above all else, people first, with a dignity and possibility no less than their housed peers.
The killing of Iryna by DeCarlos Brown should be told about two people in their full humanity — not just as symbols or political fodder, but as individuals with dreams, talents, and loved ones who were robbed of their presence. Her death is not simply a product of “evil” or “random violence;” it is, in part, the result of repeated failures of many systems over many years. Meaningful reform means investing in community-based mental health care, real safety measures, and early intervention. Outrage must be transformed into constructive policy. Tragedy should unite with hope for a better future for all. Every act of violence should spur action — not just words or prayers — and that action must serve victims, families, society, and — the perpetrator. Honoring Iryna and preventing future suffering demands more than headline outrage — it requires a collective commitment to doing better, together.