Burke County attorney Destin Hall helps lead GOP response to high-profile murders

Republican leaders in the General Assembly say they will introduce a new anti-crime package when lawmakers return to Raleigh later this month, citing two recent high-profile killings: the stabbing death of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte and the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah college event.

House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) said the incidents demand action. “It’s a different country today than it was, frankly, yesterday,” Hall told reporters on Sept. 11, the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Hall is the attorney for Burke County.

Hall and Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) outlined potential measures, including tighter rules on magistrates, ending cashless bail, and revisiting involuntary commitment standards for people with severe mental illness. Both tied their plans to preventing repeat violent offenders from being released back into communities.

The case of Decarlos Brown Jr., charged with killing Zarutska on Charlotte’s Blue Line light rail, has drawn sharp criticism. Brown, who had a history of violent offenses and mental illness, was out on bail at the time of the attack. Mayor Vi Lyles has also pressed for bipartisan solutions, citing the need to address both repeat offenders and gaps in mental health treatment.

Hall noted that last year’s Pretrial Integrity Act, which limited magistrates’ ability to release repeat offenders, did not go far enough. He suggested oversight, ethics standards, and additional training for magistrates as part of the next package.

Berger said Republicans also want to restore respect for law enforcement and consider restarting the death penalty, which has been under a judicial moratorium for more than a decade.

Democratic leaders pushed back. Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch pointed to past GOP cuts to mental health funding. House Minority Leader Robert Reives said the press conference blurred the line between policymaking and politics by featuring U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, who is running against former Gov. Roy Cooper.

Cooper responded on social media: “The murder of Iryna Zarutska is a horrible tragedy and we must do everything we can to keep people safe. Only a cynical DC insider would think it’s acceptable to use her death for political points.”

Kirk’s death added urgency, Republicans said. Kirk, a Trump ally and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot from a rooftop while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. The suspect remains at large.

Lawmakers return Sept. 22. Originally scheduled to focus on veto overrides, the session is now expected to take up the GOP crime package alongside other measures.