Public transit in the United States is intended to stand for movement, convenience, and freedom, yet for three women named Bethany MaGee, Iryna Zarutska, and Debrina Kawam, it became quite the opposite: a confined metal cage where they were attacked without escape, protection, or warning.
Their tragedies, spread across different states, tell the same brutal story: the US transit system is no longer safe and women are paying the price.
A Quick Timeline of the Attacks
- February 2025 – Charlotte, North Carolina
Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, 23, was fatally stabbed on a light-rail train. The attack was sudden, unprovoked and so fast that passengers barely had time to react.
- August 2025 – New York City
Debrina Kawam, 57, was set on fire while she was sleeping in a subway car. She never saw her attacker.
- November 17, 2025 – Chicago, Illinois
26-year-old Bethany MaGee was drenched in a flammable liquid and set on fire aboard a CTA train, fighting for her life with burns all over her body.
Three states. Three attacks. Three women who were trapped in places meant for safety and routine.
The System that Trapped Them
These attacks weren’t “random.” They were predictable outcomes of a broken system.
Inside a train or subway car, for instance, riders are literally enclosed with strangers. When one of those strangers has violent intent, the passengers have nowhere to run. No locked doors. No security presence. No rapid response.
And in each case, the attackers had red flags – prior violent behavior, mental-health issues, or criminal histories – yet they moved freely through public transit without monitoring.
Bethany MaGee: A Train Ride Turned into a Nightmare
What should have been a normal commute proved catastrophic when one man threw flammable liquid on Bethany and set her on fire inside a moving train.
No guards.
No emergency system to stop him.
No escape route for her.
It revealed a chilling gap: if someone decides to ignite violence in a transit car, there’s nothing to stop them.
Iryna Zarutska: Escaped a War Zone, Only to Die on a Train
Iryna fled the tensions in her home country seeking safety – but met a violent end in a peaceful American city.
The quiet light-rail ride became the scene of her stabbing in a matter of seconds.
Cruelty resides in the irony: she survived conflict, but not a routine commute in the US.
Debrina Kawam: Attacked Before She Even Woke Up
Debrina was attacked while she slept-the most basic, helpless human act.
She didn’t even open her eyes before becoming a victim.
This is an example of how a sleeping passenger can be set on fire, which exposes how unprepared and unchecked these systems are.
The Harsh Reality: Women Feel “Captive” on US Transit
Women from all over the country have echoed that feeling: once the doors close, you’re trapped.
When something goes wrong, you are trapped in a hurtling box made of metal with a violent stranger, and help isn’t seconds away-it’s minutes.
It is a system designed for efficiency, not survival.
What Must Change Immediately
If cities want to prevent further tragedies, superficial fixes won’t work.
They need:
- Security personnel deployed inside trains, not just at platforms
- Panic buttons and emergency intercoms in every car
- Rapid-response teams for high-traffic and late-night routes
- Better screening or monitoring of repeat violent offenders
- Mental health interventions before people become threats
- Stronger lighting, cameras, and real-time surveillance
Passengers don’t need promises; they need protection.
A Final Truth to Face
Bethany, Iryna and Debrina did not know each other. They lived in different states, followed different routines, carried different dreams. But each one died – or nearly died – because the system meant to move them forward left them unprotected. Their stories shouldn’t disappear into another week of headlines. They should make the country say: If a woman cannot even reach home safely on a train, what does “public transit” really stand for?