(TNND) — North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris called a shocking murder on a light rail car in Charlotte "a microcosm of a national epidemic."

Harris, a Republican, in the same social media post, blamed Democrats for “soft-on-crime policies” in the aftermath of the stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska, 23, a refugee from war-torn Ukraine.

The suspect in the Aug. 22 stabbing has a long criminal history.

Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, also has a long history of mental health issues, according to his attorney, reported by The Charlotte Observer.

The newspaper reported that Brown has had arrests going back to 2011.

Charlotte TV station WCNC reported that Brown, who is now charged with murder, has 14 previous court cases. WCNC reported that Brown was previously sentenced to prison for robbery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering, and larceny.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller also seized on Zarutska’s murder to direct blame at Democrats.

“The Democrat Party at every level — judges, politicians, academics, nonprofits — is organized around the defense and protection of the criminal, the monstrous and the depraved,” Miller said with a post on X highlighting the frequency with which Brown was arrested and released. “The more vile the threat, the more vociferously the Democrat Party works to protect and enable it.”

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, a Democrat, called the video of the attack, which is now circulating in public, “heartbreaking.”

“I want to thank our media partners and community members who have chosen not to repost or share the footage out of respect for Iryna’s family,” the mayor said.

U.S Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took issue with the mayor’s praise for outlets that didn’t show the attack video.

“Charlotte’s Mayor doesn’t want the media to show you the ugly truth. Why? Because she and other public officials in her city bear responsibility,” Duffy said via X.

The seemingly unprovoked murder of the young woman aboard a light rail appears to be helping Republicans make their tough-on-crime arguments as President Donald Trump turns to the National Guard in Washington, D.C., and possibly other big cities as a deterrent against crime.

Axios reported that the stabbing video can serve as a “visual counterpoint to statistics showing crime decreases.”

The Charlotte Observer reported that crime in the city had fallen 8% over the first half of the year. Charlotte also saw a 25% reduction in violent crime.

North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall, a Republican, said via social media that he thought Zarutska was safer in war-torn Ukraine than in Charlotte while calling her death the “cost of soft-on-crime ‘leadership.'"

Elon Musk posted on X, which he owns, multiple times about Zarutska’s killing.

One repost from Musk listed outlets that, at least to that point, reportedly hadn’t covered the Charlotte murder.

In another post, Musk called for a law change, apparently to hold judges accountable if someone they let free goes on to later murder someone.

“Between now and then, name and shame the DAs and judges who enable murder, rape and robbery,” Musk wrote Monday morning. “But especially shame those who funded the campaigns of the DAs and judges. That will make the biggest difference."

The Republican Party of Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, announced it will hold a news conference on Wednesday to talk about Zarutska’s murder.

“Charlotte’s light rail shouldn’t be deadly,” the Mecklenburg County Republican Party said in a Facebook post. “14 arrests, zero action. Iryna Zarutska was doomed the moment the system let this criminal walk free."

Zarutska’s family posted about her on a GoFundMe account that was set up to help them with funeral expenses.

“Ira had recently arrived in the United States, seeking safety from the war and hoping for a new beginning. Tragically, her life was cut short far too soon," they wrote on the GoFundMe page, which was up to about $80,000 as of Monday morning.