A video released on Friday by the Charlotte Area Transit System shows Ms Zarutska seated on a train when she is stabbed from behind several times in what appears to be a random attack.
The suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr, is charged with first-degree murder. The graphic video has circulated on social media, attracting the attention of influencers, commentators and politicians.
Charlotte’s mayor on Monday called the killing “a tragic failure by the courts and magistrates”. She vowed to deploy more officers to public transit sites.
President Donald Trump sent “love and hope” to Ms Zarutska’s family, saying on Monday that her killing was “horrible”.
“There are evil people. We have to be able to handle that. If we don’t handle that, we don’t have a country,” he said.
Outrage at the case comes as President Donald Trump threatens crime crackdowns in Democrat-run cities.
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