John Elijah Matthews, a 25-year-old Atlanta resident, has been accused of murder after authorities said he fatally stabbed a 66-year-old woman, Margaret Swan, on an Atlanta commuter train, MARTA, in what appeared to be a random attack.
According to MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher, Matthews was taken into custody at noon on Saturday, shortly after he got off the train at the Oakland City Station.
The victim, Margaret Swan, passed away at the site despite the efforts of first responders to revive her.
Here are 5 shocking facts about the attack:
1. Matthews stabbed Swan 18 to 20 times, according to surveillance footage from the train.
2. Matthews was at the Oakland City Station when he started stabbing Swan, and then boarded another train and travelled to the north end of the station before departing with a knife in his hand.
3. Matthews was arrested immediately by MARTA police officers who responded quickly after receiving reports of a stabbing aboard the train.
4. Matthews did not try to hide from the cops, and instead waited for the train to stop and then sat down on the platform.
5. Investigators have described the event as 'apparently random,' citing witnesses and preliminary evidence that the woman was suddenly targeted while traveling by train.
