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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reaffirmed the Trump administration’s commitment to holding Atlanta’s Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) “accountable” following the horrific stabbing death of a great-grandmother, announcing Friday that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is actively scrutinizing the transit system’s safety and security plans.
In an X post Friday, Duffy said the FTA has launched a comprehensive review of MARTA’s security spending and safety protocols, along with risks to riders and workers.
He noted that while MARTA met the government’s initial deadline for a response and assured the administration they are taking action, the FTA “won’t stop there.”
John Elijah Matthews faces a federal charge of committing an act of violence causing death on a mass transportation system, after he allegedly stabbed 66-year-old Margaret Swan aboard a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) train. (@SecDuffy/X)
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“We are examining every aspect of their plan to verify if substantive improvements are being made,” Duffy wrote in the post. “This includes pouring over hundreds of pages of documents and conducting on-site visits to see the situation on the ground. We will continue to work to secure Atlanta’s system for passengers and transit workers alike.”
The intense federal review into MARTA was launched after the unprovoked killing of 66-year-old Margaret Swan.
Swan was riding a northbound MARTA train near the Oakland City Station on May 30 when John Elijah Matthews, 25, allegedly approached her, reached into his pocket and opened a folding knife.
John Elijah Matthews allegedly began the attack by cutting the throat of the victim, identified as Margaret Swan, just seconds after he walked up next to where she was sitting on a train approaching the Oakland City MARTA station. (MARTA | Fulton County Sheriff’s Office)
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According to prosecutors and a Fulton County arrest warrant, Matthews sliced Swan’s throat and subsequently stabbed her approximately 18 to 20 times in the neck and chest as she screamed and attempted to defend herself.
Matthews allegedly threw Swan to the floor before exiting the train at the Oakland City Station, where MARTA police arrested him holding a bloody knife.
Despite emergency medical aid from first responders, Swan was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police officers arrested John Elijah Matthews immediately near the train after several witnesses saw the violent act take place. Emergency medical workers attempted life-saving efforts, but the 66-year-old victim died on the scene. (WAGA-TV)
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Witnesses confirmed there was no interaction between the two prior to the attack.
Matthews is facing a local felony murder charge and has been federally charged with committing an act of violence using a dangerous weapon with intent to cause death on a mass transportation system.
If convicted, he could face life in prison or the death penalty, a determination that will be made by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
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In an X post earlier this month, Duffy said the rates of assaults, robberies and rapes on MARTA’s trains are “MORE THAN THREE TIMES the national average.”
The FTA’s audit aims to examine if MARTA has properly implemented its safety plans to protect passengers and how it has allocated federal funds intended for security improvements.
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MARTA did not immediately respond to Digital’s request for comment.
Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
