A chilling, apparently random stabbing on a MARTA train leaves a 66-year-old woman dead

A 25-year-old man has been charged with murder after police say he stabbed a woman to death on an Atlanta commuter train in an apparently random attack.

John Elijah Matthews was arrested around noon on Saturday, moments after he stepped off the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority train at the Oakland City Station, said MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher. First responders tried to resuscitate Margaret Swan, 66, but she died at the scene, he said.

Matthews waived a bond hearing set for Monday morning, and a defense attorney named in his court documents did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment. Matthews has not yet had the opportunity to enter a plea.

Kreher said video from the train depicted an unprovoked and chilling attack on an apparent stranger, and that Swan was stabbed up to 20 times.

“There's no evidence at this time to suggest they knew each other — this was merely a random act of violence,” Kreher said.

“He walked over, stood next to her, and within 30 seconds he had killed her,” using a small pocket knife, Kreher said. “He looked at her, didn’t say anything to her, pulled out a knife.”

Other people were on the train at the time, Kreher said, but the suspect did not approach any of them.

“He finished attacking her, and he just stood there and waited for the train to stop in Oakland City. He got off the train car, went over on the platform, and just sat down. He didn't even try to run or hide," Kreher said.

A statement from MARTA said the transit authority is committed to protecting riders and responding quickly to incidents. MARTA has 12,000 security cameras in its system, as well as a dedicated police force of 280 officers.

“This was a senseless and heartbreaking loss,” the MARTA statement said. “We mourn with Margaret Swan's loved ones and extend our deepest sympathies during this incredibly difficult time.”

Kreher said the police force had already planned to step up security by putting officers on six-day workweeks starting Saturday for the FIFA World Cup. But after the stabbing, they decided to implement the longer workweek immediately.

There were 1,357 assaults, including 29 fatalities, on mass transit riders in the U.S. from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025, according to the Federal Transit Administration. But that was a drop compared to the two previous years, when more than 1,500 people were assaulted, and more than 40 died in each year.

Last month, a man with a machete who attacked three people at a major New York City subway station was shot and killed by police. The three stabbing victims had injuries that were not expected to be life-threatening.

Almost a dozen people were injured in a stabbing attack on a train traveling through eastern England last November.

A young Ukrainian refugee was fatally stabbed on a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina, last year, and the man charged with her murder has not yet been found competent to stand trial. The death of Iryna Zarutska, 23, sparked sharp criticism from President Donald Trump and others who said local officials were not doing enough to prevent violent crime.

___ Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.