The man suspected of carrying out a deadly knife attack on a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been charged with a federal crime that makes him eligible for the death penalty.
Decarlos Brown Jr, 34, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder over the unprovoked attack on 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a train on 22 August. Her killing incited a widespread debate over crime in American cities.
On Tuesday, the justice department said Brown had also been charged with causing death on a mass transportation system.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the department would seek the maximum penalty and he would "never again see the light of day as a free man".
The deadly attack has triggered a federal investigation and warnings that the city could lose millions of dollars in transit funding.
"If mayors can't keep their trains and buses safe, they don't deserve the taxpayers' money," US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement.
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