A man has been charged with murder after authorities say he stabbed a woman to death in a brutal attack aboard an Atlanta commuter train.
The horrifying incident happened May 30 on a MARTA train, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Federal prosecutors said surveillance video showed John Elijah Matthews standing next to 66-year-old Margaret Swan shortly before the attack.
Then, without any known warning or visible interaction between the two, Matthews allegedly pulled a folding knife from his pocket and stabbed Swan approximately 20 times in the chest and neck as she tried to defend herself.
Passengers on the train called for help and ran for safety as the attack unfolded.
Prosecutors said no one reported seeing Matthews and Swan speak or interact before the stabbing.
When the MARTA train stopped at Oakland City station, police were waiting. Authorities said MARTA officers immediately arrested Matthews.
Federal prosecutors said Matthews was allegedly carrying a bloody folding knife that appeared consistent with the weapon seen in surveillance footage. He also allegedly had blood on his clothing.
Fulton County jail records show Matthews is charged with murder. He has also been charged in federal court with committing an act of violence causing death on a mass transportation system.
Swan’s daughter, Shanae Sams, spoke to 11 Alive after her mother’s death and described her as the heart of the family.
“My mom was the rock of her family,” Sams said. “There was nothing she wouldn’t do for her family because her family was her everything.”
Sams said her mother often rode the train and believes she never had a real chance to protect herself.
“Everybody watched it and nobody helped her,” Sams told the outlet.
The killing has shaken passengers and residents who rely on MARTA, raising new fears about safety on public transit.
Authorities have not said what they believe led to the alleged attack.
It is not immediately clear whether Matthews has entered a plea.
Will bet he is black