LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A new mural now covers part of an apartment complex in downtown Las Vegas, honoring a Ukrainian refugee killed in North Carolina.
The art is part of a national campaign funded by major tech figures, including Elon Musk, and it's sparking strong reactions.
WATCH | Abel Garcia spoke to some locals to hear their thoughts:
The mural features 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, who was stabbed to death on a Charlotte Light Rail train in 2025, allegedly by a homeless man with a long criminal record.
The Remember Iryna Project began when Intercom's CEO pledged $500,000 in artist grants, later expanded with a $1 million pledge from Elon Musk.
Organizers say it honors Zarutska's memory while highlighting what they call soft-on-crime policies.
Nearly two dozen murals now stand in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Brooklyn, Miami and Las Vegas.
The campaign has sparked dispute on social media, with some seeing it as a moving memorial while others call it political propaganda.
"I would say if Elon Musk is funding a project, it would probably be leaning more towards propaganda," Yvonne Mann said. "I don't think he's somebody who's just funding like projects out of empathy or um, uh, so yeah, I would have my, my doubts about that for sure."
Others view the mural differently, seeing it as a tribute to a young woman whose life was cut short.
"I don't see that at all. I see it as a memorial for someone who was murdered very, very tragically, who was really just doing like just sitting in a bus seat," Jessica Richardson said.
The artist behind the Las Vegas mural declined to comment when contacted for this story.
The Remember Iryna Project represents a growing trend of tech billionaires funding public art with political messaging, raising questions about the intersection of memorial art and advocacy.
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