Iryna Zarutska was a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who fled war in search of safety. 

On August 22, she was stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail train in a horrifying, unprovoked attack caught on video. The suspect has a long history of violent crimes and prior arrests—raising serious public questions about how the system failed to protect her.

The story received a lot of news coverage and sparked political commentary, but now it’s under threat of being erased from public record.

A Wikipedia editor has nominated the article about Iryna’s murder for deletion. This move has stirred widespread concern, with many questioning why such a clearly documented, nationally reported case is being singled out for removal.

Wikipedia is the largest reference platform in the world. What it includes—and what it excludes—shapes public memory and historical understanding. When articles like Iryna’s are deleted, it sends the message that some lives are less worthy of remembrance, and that systemic failures that led to those deaths aren’t worth confronting.

We, the undersigned, call on Wikipedia administrators and editors to:

• Keep the article on the murder of Iryna Zarutska
  Acknowledge that the case is verifiably notable, with coverage from CNN, FOX, USA Today, WCNC, and multiple independent sources
• Ensure that editorial decisions are not influenced by discomfort, political controversy, or attempts to minimize difficult stories.

Removing the article does not protect the truth—it obscures it.

Wikipedia must stand for open knowledge, not quiet erasure.