CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The deadly, unprovoked stabbing on a CATS Blue Line train has left Charlotte shaken and raised new questions about whether the suspect slipped through the cracks of North Carolina’s mental health system.

Investigators say Decarlos Brown fatally stabbed Iryna Zarustka last month in an attack police say was random. Brown is now charged with murder and is undergoing evaluations to determine if he is mentally competent to stand trial. He is also being evaluated in a separate case involving misuse of 911 earlier this year.

For some mental health professionals, the case is a tragic reminder of what can happen when people don’t get the treatment they need.

“Because I’m living in a space of mental health and knowing all the problems that exist, I thought for sure this individu

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