CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Wednesday marks 60 days since the tragic stabbing death of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska aboard a Charlotte light rail train, and Republican leaders are using the solemn milestone to renew calls for accountability from city officials, citing what they describe as a growing public safety crisis.

They will hold a news conference Wednesday morning outside the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, where GOP leaders from across the region will stand alongside community advocates to condemn what they called a "wave of violence" sweeping through the Queen City.

The event, organized by the 12th District Republican Party and the Mecklenburg County Republican Party, comes amid rising frustration over violent crime and what critics say is weak leadership from the city’s Democratic

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