Death of great-grandmother brutally killed on train triggers federal action

By Fox News · Fox News

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reaffirmed the Trump administration's commitment to holding Atlanta's Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) "accountable" following the horrific stabbing death of a great-grandmother , announcing Friday that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is actively scrutinizing the transit system's safety and security plans. In an X post Friday, Duffy said the FTA has launched a comprehensive review of MARTA's security spending and safety protocols, along with risks to riders and workers. He noted that while MARTA met the government's initial deadline for a response and assured the administration they are taking action, the FTA "won't stop there." ATLANTA TRAIN STABBING SUSPECT FACES NEW CHARGE AS FEDS WEIGH DEATH PENALTY IN GREAT-GRANDMOTHER’S KILLING "We are examining every aspect of their plan to verify if substantive improvements are being made," Duffy wrote in the post. "This includes pouring over hundreds of pages of documents and conducting on-site visits to see the situation on the ground. We will continue to work to secure Atlanta's system for passengers and transit workers alike." The intense federal review into MARTA was launched after the unprovoked killing of 66-year-old Margaret Swan. Swan was riding a northbound MARTA train near the Oakland City Station on May 30 when John Elijah Matthews, 25, allegedly approached her, reached into his pocket and opened a folding knife. DISTURBING CONTENT WARNING: ILLEGAL ACCUSED OF KILLING GEORGIA GRANDMOTHER FACES NEW DISTURBING CHARGES According to prosecutors and a Fulton County arrest warrant, Matthews sliced Swan's throat and subsequently stabbed her approximately 18 to 20 times in the neck and chest as she screamed and attempted to defend herself. Matthews allegedly threw Swan to the floor before exiting the train at the Oakland City Station, where MARTA police arrested him holding a bloody knife. Despite emergency medical aid from first responders , Swan was prono…