A “senseless act of violence” aboard an Atlanta train left the family crying “negligence” after a 66-year-old grandmother was brutally murdered in broad daylight.
“Everybody watched it, and nobody helped her.”
(Video Credit: 11Alive)
Saturday, aboard a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) train, a second stabbing within two weeks left a regular rider dead. According to the arrest warrant for John Elijah Matthews, 25, the suspect allegedly approached Margaret Swan, grabbed her head, slit her throat, and then proceeded to stab her approximately 20 times as she called for help.
Detailing the warrant that relied on as yet unreleased CCTV footage, 11Alive explained that the suspect approached the victim, who was seated alone and was “seen walking up to [Swan] and standing just to her right.”
Within seconds, he was said to have pulled a knife from a pocket, cut the throat of Swan, and proceeded to stab her before “throwing [Swan] to the floor and standing near her until the train arrived at the Oakland City Station,” within two minutes.
It was at that point that the suspect exited the train with the knife still in hand and, according to MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher, “went over to the platform, and just sat down. He didn’t even try to run or hide,” as officers rushed upon him to make an arrest. Meanwhile, first responders endeavored to perform life-saving measures on Swan that proved futile.
MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher said, “There’s no evidence at this time to suggest they knew each other — this was merely a random act of violence.”
“He walked over, stood next to her, and within 30 seconds, he had killed her,” detailed the chief. “He looked at her, didn’t say anything to her, pulled out a knife.”
“Everybody watched it, and nobody helped her,” the victim’s daughter, Shanae Sams, told 11Alive. Faulting the system more than bystanders, she argued, “We can tell women all the time to be aware of their surroundings, but this is negligence, this is security negligence.”
“Because there was no security. No one is securing the trains,” said Sams. “If the police were on the train, this wouldn’t have happened. It shouldn’t be certain stations that have the police patrolling. It should be that all stations have the police patrolling.”
In its own statement on the tragedy, MARTA expressed, “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.”
Matthews, who faces a charge of murder malice, waived his first court appearance on Monday. As for the safety aboard public transportation, Kreher indicated the police already intended to increase their presence as Atlanta was one of several cities set to host matches for the FIFA World Cup. Of course, that proved too late for Swan and her family, including three children, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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