But in August 2025, her life was violently cut short when a stranger, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., suddenly stood behind her on the train and stabbed her multiple times in an unprovoked attack — all captured on surveillance footage.

Iryna, known for her “radiant smile,” was a talented artist with a degree in art and restoration from a Kyiv college — but her heart was set on a different dream: becoming a veterinary assistant and building a new life in America.

Her family’s grief echoed across social media: