A 33-year-old man has been charged in connection with a stabbing aboard a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina, that left a passenger critically injured. Police identified the suspect as Oscar Solorzano and said he attacked another rider with a large knife on Friday afternoon.
Solorzano has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon. The victim was rushed to the hospital, where doctors say he remains in critical but stable condition.
A magistrate’s filing states that Solorzano is in the United States unlawfully and that he has previously been deported. He is being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. An arrest warrant further alleges that he appeared intoxicated during the confrontation and deliberately provoked the victim into a fight. Court records currently list no attorney representing him.
The incident quickly drew political attention. US President Donald Trump commented on Truth Social, criticising Democratic leadership in Charlotte and tying the stabbing to immigration concerns. Authorities have also highlighted Solorzano’s prior criminal history, which includes multiple violent and obstructive offences, and confirmed that federal immigration officials have lodged a detainer to prevent his release.
The attack has intensified scrutiny of safety on Charlotte’s light-rail system, coming less than four months after another rider, 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, was fatally stabbed in what police described as a random assault. The suspect in that case, Decarlos Brown Jr., is facing state murder charges and a federal indictment for causing a death on mass transit.
Homeland security officials recently deployed additional resources to North Carolina to focus on individuals without legal status who have criminal backgrounds, citing hundreds of unexecuted federal detainers in the state.
