atlanta woman fatally stabbed up to 20 times on train: 'nobody was helping her'
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a routine trip on an atlanta transit train turned into a nightmare when 66-year-old margaret swan was killed in what cops describe as a random and brutal knife attack.
now, her family is demanding answers about security and safety on the city’s transit system.
according to police, swan was riding a metropolitan atlanta rapid transit authority (marta) train near oakland city station on may 30 when she was attacked.
john elijah matthews, 25, was arrested shortly afterward at the station and taken into custody, according to fox 5.
tragedy could have been prevented?
swan’s daughter, shanae sams, pointed to what she sees as major security failures on the transit system, arguing that weak policing, limited patrols, and a temporary free-fare policy made it easier for dangerous individuals to move through the network unchecked.
“to me, it’s negligence with the security and the patrolling,” sams told the new york post, adding that ongoing renovations had made rides free for commuters. she argued that the lack of barriers and visible security created an environment where “anybody has access to get on and off the trains.”
according to a warrant obtained by 11alive, surveillance footage shows matthews boarding the train around 11:20 a.m. and hovering near swan, who was sitting alone. investigators say he then pulled out a knife and slit her throat.
cries for help went unanswered
authorities allege swan screamed and tried to get away, but matthews held her down and stabbed her another 18 to 20 times before leaving her wounded on the train. according to sams, her mother cried out for help during the attack.
“she was screaming for help, and nobody was helping her,” sams said, per the post, describing the anguish her family has felt since the killing.
“there’s no words that can explain how we feel right now. we are all lost, confused, angry and scared. it is just too much. why was there no security? why is nobody trying to prevent this from happening?” she added.
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investigators say that after the attack, matthews threw swan’s body to the floor and stood over her as the train arrived at oakland city station. police moved in quickly and arrested him on the platform, where authorities say he was still holding a knife.
officials have not yet said where security personnel or police officers were located when the attack unfolded, and investigators have not disclosed a motive, per fox 5. it also remains unclear whether any passengers attempted to intervene.
marta says nearly 300 officers are assigned throughout the transit system to help protect riders, according to cbs news. the agency has also said security efforts are expected to increase ahead of the fifa world cup, when atlanta is expected to welcome large numbers of visitors.
for swan’s loved ones, the arrest brought little comfort. her ex-husband, jerry swan, said he was devastated when their daughter called to tell him what had happened.
“i was happy they caught him, but in my mind the thought was why did he do that to such a nice person,” he said, according to cbs news.
he also called his ex a caring grandmother who was on her way to look after one of her grandchildren when she was killed.
a screengrab from video released by the transit authority of decarlos brown jr. and iryna zarutska.
the killing mirrors the aug. 22, 2025 slaying of iryna zarutska on a train in charlotte, n.c.
the 23-year-old ukrainian refugee was seated when she was fatally stabbed from behind by a stranger. decarlos dejuan brown jr. was arrested exiting the train and charged with first-degree murder, but was later determined to be incompetent to stand trial.
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