Georgia Sheriff Calls Upon Citizens to Exercise Their Second Amendment Rights

When all else fails, turn to reason, logic, and the right to bear arms.

September 15, 2025 By Darwin Nercesian, News Field Editor

Following the horrific murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska (23), Butts County Sheriff Gary Long has taken to Facebook, urging Georgia residents to exercise their Second Amendment rights by arming themselves in public. Zarutska was returning home from her job at a local pizzeria when she was stabbed to death on the Lynx Blue Line commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 22. According to investigators, the suspect, Decarlos Brown (34), appears to have attacked at random, as there seems to be no connection or prior communication between him and Zarutska.

“As I sit and watch the horrific crime that was perpetrated on the light rail in Charlotte, North Carolina, a defenseless Iryna Zarutska was brutally attacked and stabbed to death for absolutely no reason at all,” Sheriff Long wrote in his statement.

Of course, random is not the same thing as unpredictable, and Brown’s lengthy criminal history includes fourteen cases since 2007 in Mecklenburg County. At 22, he was convicted of shoplifting, larceny, and breaking and entering in three separate proceedings. Not a year later, Brown robbed a man of his cell phone and $450 at gunpoint in broad daylight at a Charlotte apartment complex. For his efforts, Brown pleaded guilty and served six years in prison, followed by a year of probation.

In January 2025, police responded to a disturbance at a hospital, where Brown told them he was being controlled by "manmade material.” Police reports indicate that Brown became agitated when officers advised him that his complaints were of a medical nature and that they could not help him. Brown proceeded to call 911 while officers were still on the scene, resulting in his arrest for misuse of the emergency service. Brown was released without bail, and in July, a judge agreed with a defense request to have Brown evaluated to determine his mental competency to stand trial. It is not clear at this time if that test was completed.

It’s disturbing that an individual with such a long history of criminal behavior can be released without bail. Neither the court nor his own defense attorney is sure whether Brown is mentally competent enough to understand his own trial, yet the justice system seemed content to let him walk amongst law-abiding citizens. Brown is now facing murder charges in North Carolina and a federal charge for committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, an offense that could carry the death penalty.

It is difficult to see his tragedy for anything more than it is, combining a pattern of criminal behavior with judicial negligence and liberal prosecutorial standards found in most leftist-run cities. The phenomenon has led to lower or nonexistent bail requirements, prosecutors declining to pursue charges in cases that would have previously carried a prison sentence, more lenient sentencing guidelines, and ultimately more violent criminals on the streets.

“The horrific video of the attack is a clear and undisputed reminder why every citizen that can legally possess a firearm, SHOULD possess a firearm and they should be proficient with it. I’m completely baffled that not one person out of the many watching intervened, helped or tried to stop the heinous attack on this helpless woman,” Sheriff Long continued.

That’s among the most cogent and reasonable takes on the matter that I’ve read. While the Second Amendment was implicitly written to enable citizens to withstand and overcome governmental tyranny, it is also a God-given right that allows us to defend against the evil that lurks among us, preying on the innocent without morality, mercy, or a shred of human decency.

While Zarutska did not see her attacker coming, making him not only a piece of human garbage but also a tremendous coward, I agree with the Sheriff and feel there was an eerie sense of normalcy in the lack of reaction by other commuters on the train. Brown walked amongst them, even brushing up against a passenger as he moved past, dripping blood all over the floor of the train. How could anyone know that he would stop with Zarutska? Is it truly indifference that causes this form of paralysis, or is it simply fear? I'm not saying that carrying a firearm and knowing how to use it eliminates feelings of fear; however, it may very well be the equalizer that saves lives in the hands of a prepared citizen who is willing to protect themselves and their fellow man.

"I am asking each and every citizen across Butts County, that is legally allowed to posses a firearm, to please exercise their 2nd Amendment right, be trained and proficient and stay ready to protect yourself and/or a helpless third party. If you need training, click the link and check out our ‘Citizens’ Handgun Safety’ Classes and ‘Women’s Self-Defense’ Classes. More dates for each class will be posted soon,” the Sheriff continued.

Proficiency leads to confidence, and confidence with a firearm can mean the difference between life and death. There are far too many people who purchase firearms, perhaps a box or two of ammunition, then lock them up somewhere for safekeeping, treating them like an emergency safety tool that requires no training to use. Don't be that person. Go to the range, get training, practice what you've learned, and start carrying every day, because you never know where or when you’ll encounter the wolf.

I am elated to see a law enforcement leader not only stand up for the Second Amendment but also discuss the importance of its exercise. Sheriff Long is encouraging citizens to pursue training and providing them with the resources to access this education, a directive that will fundamentally address firearm safety and proficiency. Sheriffs across the nation should be having this same discussion with residents of their counties.

I can't think of a better way to conclude this statement. We see it every day in the collapse of society’s morality and sense of right and wrong. Mentally ill people are not in the news delivering flowers to an entire city block or for being obsessed with philanthropy, nor do all mentally ill people commit heinous crimes. Regardless of whatever the left’s excuse of the day may be, these tragedies come from the choices of a few, choices inspired by evil that often leave a trail of predictability for anyone willing to notice. If those entrusted with this responsibility fail to, or refuse to notice, then it is our responsibility as Americans and human beings to take up the mantle, defending our nation and our loved ones. As the left has been rallying against, ridiculing, and even murdering those calling for a return to prayer, maybe it’s time we start being honest about where we come as a nation, the principles that made this country great, and where we’ve taken wrong turns against reason, logic, the Constitution, God, and ultimately ourselves.

Darwin Nercesian is a long-time gun rights advocate and shooter of targets far, far away. As a News Field Editor at Firearms News, Darwin writes about the Second Amendment, firearms, and related gear. Follow him on Instagram, X, and YouTube @DTOE_Official.