Iryna Zarutska was fatally stabbed on August 22, 2025, at the East/West Boulevard light rail station in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo: CATS/METROIn the wake of Iryna Zarutska's murder on August 22, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is launching an investigation of North Carolina's Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). According to a USDOT release, the investigation will review the transit agency's security spending, safety plans, and ongoing risks to operators and customers being assaulted on the system. "[USDOT is] investigating CATS and other transit agencies to determine whether they are taking the necessary actions to keep riders and transit workers safe," Secretary Duffy said. FTA has jurisdiction over transit worker safety and argues that conditions must be evaluated to guarantee similar incidents do not endanger transit workers or commuters in the future.