A man described in court documents as a previously deported immigrant has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a fellow passenger on Charlotte’s light rail system, an incident that quickly ignited political backlash
US President Donald Trump accused Democrats of “destroying” Charlotte, North Carolina, following a stabbing on the city’s light rail system on Friday, involving a man described in court documents as an unauthorised immigrant.
The comments appeared on Truth Social on Saturday, where Trump wrote, “Another stabbing by an Illegal Migrant in Charlotte, North Carolina. What’s going on in Charlotte? Democrats are destroying it, like everything else, piece by piece.”
The incident involved 33-year-old Oscar Solarzano, who is accused of being intoxicated, challenging another passenger to a fight and then stabbing him with a knife. He has been charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and several related offences and has been booked into Mecklenburg County jail.
His alleged victim, identified in court documents as Kenyon Kareem-Shemar Dobie, was taken to hospital and is in stable condition, according to the Mecklenburg EMS Agency. A magistrate described Solarzano in court documents as an “illegal” who had been “deported previously”, alleging he was “unintelligible and slurred words” before using a “large fixed blade knife” in the attack.
Immigration history and political response
Solarzano, a Honduran national, has entered the United States illegally three times, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He was expelled in 2018 and apprehended again in 2021, though it is not known when he re-entered the country.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer to ensure this illegal criminal is not released back into North Carolina neighbourhoods. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the county will honour the detainer since they have a history of not cooperating with ICE.” Solarzano is due in court on Monday.
Republicans quickly attributed responsibility for the attack to local Democrats, echoing criticism following the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska in August on the city’s light rail system, a case that drew national attention. Representative Mark Harris of North Carolina wrote on X, “Oscar Solarzano was previously deported and then illegally entered our country AGAIN. These are the folks NC’s pro-crime Democrats want to keep on the streets.”
Last month, the Trump administration deployed additional immigration agents to Charlotte, one of several Democrat-led cities targeted in a broader enforcement surge. Officials framed this as action against violent offenders.
City officials reported in October that crime had been falling significantly throughout the year, with homicides down 24 per cent and aggravated assaults down 19 per cent based on third-quarter statistics. After the Zarutska stabbing, authorities increased law enforcement patrols on the light rail system.
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