No one helped Iryna Zarutska because of a combination of factors including shock, fear, and the bystander effect, where people assume someone else will intervene. Despite her being stabbed on a light rail train in Charlotte, passengers did not step in promptly to assist her. The attacker was a mentally ill man with a long criminal record who had been repeatedly let out into society despite seeking help for his schizophrenia. The response from people around her was largely indifferent or passive, with some even filming the scene instead of helping. This tragic event has sparked widespread discussion about societal apathy, public safety, and systemic failures in mental health care and judicial oversight. The blame is primarily on the attacker and the system that failed to contain him, rather than on the bystanders who froze or hesitated out of fear or shock.