(TJV NEWS) 25-year-old John Elijah Matthews is being charged with murder in the death of 66-year-old Margaret Swan after the latter was stabbed to death while riding an Atlanta, Georgia, train.
🚨#BREAKING: Footage has emerged of the arrest of the man who randomly st*bbed a woman to de*th on a train in Atlanta GA.
He is a Black male.
The knife used is laying on the ground and appears to be a small pocket knife. pic.twitter.com/BJzD4MXxyE
— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) May 30, 2026
Just after 12 p.m., police were called to the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority’s (MARTA) Oakland City Station where they arrested Matthews and rendered aid to Swan before she was eventually pronounced dead.
MARTA officials released a statement, saying, “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.”
Footage of the suspect being arrested was uploaded online, showing a knife lying on the ground near the handcuffed individual.
The unwitting passenger, sitting alone, began screaming and trying to escape as the violent brute allegedly held her down and stabbed her 18 to 20 times in an unprovoked attack, NY Post described.
GRAPHIC WARNING! Another video shared online shows blood spilled all over the train near Swan’s body.
🚨Graphic Footage:
Woman fatally stabbed in random unprovoked attack on Atlanta MARTA train at Oakland City Station May 30 around noon.
Suspect arrested immediately by MARTA police at the scene.
Victim died despite aid from officers and medics.
Second MARTA stabbing in under…
— Don Keith (@RealDonKeith) May 31, 2026
Some train riders are blaming the brutal murder on a recent change that allows homeless people to ride MARTA trains for free, with on man telling Fox Atlanta, “It’s crazy, just need more security, for real. Watching everywhere. They really need to block it off where homeless people can’t come in because it’s getting bad out here.”
Less than a week before Swan was killed, another MARTA passenger was stabbed several times near the Georgia State Capitol.
