A man is facing federal charges after a 66-year-old Atlanta woman was fatally stabbed aboard a MARTA train in what transit police described as a random attack.
The victim, identified by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office as Margaret Swan, 66, was attacked as a train traveled between the Lakewood-Fort McPherson and Oakland City stations, according to MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher.
John Elijah Matthews, 25, of Decatur, Georgia, is charged with murder malice and committing an act of violence using a dangerous weapon with the intent to cause death on a mass transportation system, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
“Margaret Swan was a beloved great-grandmother who was brutally killed in an unprovoked act of senseless violence. Her loss deeply affects her family, friends, and our entire community,” U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg wrote in a statement. “Atlantans and the many people who will soon visit for the FIFA World Cup deserve to travel free from fear of a violent attack. We will not tolerate murder and mayhem on MARTA, and anyone who uses a dangerous weapon to seriously injure or kill on public transportation may face swift and unrelenting federal prosecution.”
CHARLOTTE RESIDENTS SAY THEY FEEL LESS SAFE AS CITY FACES SECOND TRANSIT STABBING
Video surveillance inside the MARTA train on Saturday allegedly showed Matthews standing next to Swan, who was sitting near the train’s door and looking at her phone, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
At about 11:25 a.m., video allegedly showed Matthews reach into his pocket, pull out a folding knife, and stab Swan roughly 20 times in the chest and neck area as she attempted to defend herself.
A warrant obtained by affiliate FOX 5 Atlanta noted the victim was screaming for help as she was stabbed.
The suspect was then seen on the CCTV cameras “throwing [Swan] to the floor and standing near her until the train arrived at the Oakland City Station,” less than two minutes later, according to the warrant.
Other passengers on the train fled for safety and called for help, and at least one passenger confirmed that Swan had no interaction with Matthews before the fatal attack, officials said.
“This appears to be a senseless act of violence, and our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones and those who witnessed this horrific incident,” MARTA said in a statement.
After the MARTA train stopped at the Oakland City station, MARTA police officers immediately arrested Matthews, who allegedly had a bloody folding knife consistent with the knife seen in the surveillance video, and had blood on his clothes.
First responders attempted to render emergency medical aid to Swan, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
If convicted, Matthews faces the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty.
The Attorney General of the United States will determine if the government will seek the death penalty.
Matthews is currently in local custody but will appear in federal court at a later date.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Police Department.
The stabbing comes as Atlanta passengers have grown increasingly worried about train safety. Last week, a man was stabbed multiple times at the Georgia State Station.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office for additional information.
