Kelli Allen of Charlotte was one of a couple hundred people who attended a candlelight vigil honoring Iryna Zarutska near a light rail station in the city on Monday night, organized by some churches and the local Republican Party.

Allen said she’s hopeful that “we are on the path to making this a better and safer city. I think that’s what everyone wants here.” “I just know she wanted a better life and she deserved that,” Allen added. “So I’m here just to honor her tonight.”

The Aug. 22 death of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska — her attack caught on camera — and subsequent charges against a suspect who had previously been arrested more than a dozen times caused public outrage.

An array of Republicans, President Donald Trump among them, have attempted to blame Zarutska's death on Charlotte-area leaders and Democratic state officials for what they call soft-on-crime policies.