SouthernWorldwide.com – Following the brutal stabbing death of a great-grandmother on a train, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has reaffirmed the Trump administration’s commitment to holding Atlanta’s Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) accountable.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has launched an intensive review of MARTA’s safety and security plans, focusing on risks to both riders and transit workers.
In an X post on Friday, Duffy announced the comprehensive review, which will scrutinize MARTA’s security spending and safety protocols.
He acknowledged that MARTA had met the initial deadline for a response and assured the administration that actions are being taken. However, Duffy emphasized that the FTA’s scrutiny will not end there.
“We are examining every aspect of their plan to verify if substantive improvements are being made,” Duffy stated. “This includes pouring over hundreds of pages of documents and conducting on-site visits to see the situation on the ground.”
The goal is to ensure the security of Atlanta’s transit system for all passengers and employees.
This significant federal review was initiated in the wake of the unprovoked killing of 66-year-old Margaret Swan.
Swan was traveling on a northbound MARTA train near Oakland City Station on May 30 when the alleged assailant, 25-year-old John Elijah Matthews, approached her.
According to a Fulton County arrest warrant and prosecutors, Matthews produced a folding knife from his pocket.
He then allegedly slit Swan’s throat and proceeded to stab her approximately 18 to 20 times in the neck and chest as she desperately tried to defend herself and cried out.
Matthews reportedly pushed Swan to the floor before exiting the train at Oakland City Station.
MARTA police apprehended him at the scene, reportedly holding a bloody knife.
Despite the immediate efforts of first responders to provide emergency medical aid, Swan was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses to the horrific event confirmed that there was no prior interaction or altercation between Swan and Matthews before the attack.
Matthews is currently facing a local felony murder charge.
Additionally, he has been federally charged with committing an act of violence using a dangerous weapon with the intent to cause death on a mass transportation system.
If convicted of the federal charges, Matthews could face a sentence of life in prison or the death penalty.
The decision regarding the potential for the death penalty will be made by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Earlier this month, Secretary Duffy had expressed concerns about the safety of transit systems in other major cities.
He warned that Chicago and Boston transit systems could risk losing federal support if violence continues to rise.
In a previous X post, Duffy highlighted that the rates of assaults, robberies, and rapes on MARTA’s trains are “MORE THAN THREE TIMES the national average.”
The FTA’s ongoing audit is designed to assess whether MARTA has effectively implemented its safety plans to protect passengers.
It will also examine how federal funds allocated for security enhancements have been utilized by the transit authority.
