(The Center Square) – When a federal charge was levied this week against Decarlos Brown Jr. in the killing of Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail, authorities said more charges were possible.

North Carolina’s chapter of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the nation has formally requested federal prosecutors charge Brown with a hate crime.

“We join calls for the U.S. attorney to investigate the murder of Iryna Zarutska as a possible hate crime given video footage that appears to show the perpetrator commenting on her race and gender after brutally attacking her,” the North Carolina chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said in a statement. “Whenever someone commits similar acts of violence while engaging in racist or bigoted rhetoric, law enforcement should automatically investigate a bias motive.”

Zarutska, 23, was killed while aboard the Lynx Blue Line light rail train about 10 p.m. Aug. 22 alongside Camden Road near the East/West station, according to the Charlotte Area Transit System video. Brown, arrested a 15th time in as many years, is charged with first-degree murder on the state level and charged on the federal level with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.

While in the local news immediately, the story went viral over the weekend and into this week when Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police released video from the transit system. Congressional proposals are in the works; state Republicans in the U.S. House have requested the chief judge in the district remove the magistrate signing off on cashless bail for Brown in January; and a probe of safety and budget for the transit system is underway by the state auditor.

CAIR-North Carolina said, “Video footage from the incident reportedly shows the alleged attacker, Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., pacing through the train and twice saying, ‘I got that white girl.’”

The Center Square has not confirmed the comments. Video released by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police is from cameras aboard the Charlotte Area Transit System light rail train.

General Assembly leaders planned a noon press conference connected to the stabbing.

CAIR-North Carolina said, “As we condemn Ms. Zarutska’s horrific murder and call for a hate crime probe, we also condemn those using this crime to resurrect racist talking points about the Black community. This selective outrage is dangerous, hypocritical, and racially motivated, especially given that white supremacists fall silent about other stabbings, mass shootings, hate crimes, financial crimes, rapes, and various other misconduct committed by people of all races and backgrounds. Our society must secure justice for victims of crimes, not turn them into pawns for extremists.”

(The Center Square) – The weapon believed to have been used in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been recovered; however, a manhunt remains underway for the suspected shooter.

Investigators held a briefing Thursday morning indicating that investigators recovered a “high-powered bolt action rifle” into a wooded area near the shooting site. Investigators say the “suspect blended in well with a college institution,” believing the suspect to be college aged. They say they have “images of the suspect.”

Investigators say they have made progress overnight in tracking the movements of the suspect before and after the shooting.

“We were able to track the movements of the shooter; starting at 11:52 a.m. the subject arrived on campus, shortly away from campus. We have tracked his movements onto the campus, through the stairwells up to the roof, across the roof to a shooting location. After the shooting, we were able to track his movements as he moved to the other side of the building, jumped off of the building and fled off of the campus and into a neighborhood,” according to the commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, Beau Mason.

The suspected rifle used in the shooting is being sent off to an FBI laboratory for analysis. In addition to the recovered weapon, investigators say they collected footwear impressions, a palm print and forearm imprints; however, they didn’t indicate where they were collected.

Kirk was shot in the neck before 12:30 p.m. MDT Wednesday during a campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

Two individuals were briefly detained and questioned in relation to the shooting, but were later released, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.

Videos circulating show a shadowy figure, appearing to be dressed in black clothing, can be seen on a rooftop approximately 200 yards from where Kirk was speaking. The figure can be seen running shortly after the shooting.

The FBI, along with the Utah Department of Public Safety, is leading the investigation.

This is a developing story.

(The Center Square) – An assistant dean at Middle Tennessee State University was fired after posting “inappropriate and callous comments,” about the murder of Charlie Kirk, the school’s president said in a Facebook post.

The employee was not identified in the post but U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., on social media identified her as Laura Sosh-Lightsy.

The post by Sosh-Lightsy said, “Looks like ol’ Charlie spoke his fate into existence,” she wrote. “Hate begets hate. ZERO sympathy,” according to Blackburn’s post.

The senator shared a post from Matthew Hurtt, director of professional services at the Leadership Institute, that showed Sosh-Lightsy was an employee of the university for more than 21 years. She was named assistant dean for student care and conduct a year and three months ago.

“The comments by this employee, who worked in a position of trust directly with students, were inconsistent with our values and have undermined the university’s credibility and reputation with our students, faculty, staff and the community at large,” said university President Sidney A. McPhee in the Facebook post. “This employee has been fired effective immediately. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Kirk family.”

Blackburn called for Sosh Lightsy’s firing in her post.

“This person should be ashamed of her post. She should be removed from her position at @MTSU,” Blackburn said.