The U.S. Department of Transportation has opened a federal investigation into MARTA after two recent stabbing attacks, including the May 30 killing of 66-year-old Margaret Swan and a prior incident at a Georgia Tech station. The review will examine security sp
For days, MARTA riders have kept one eye on their phones and the other on what’s around them. Now, the attention has shifted from the platform to Washington.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has launched an investigation into the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority following two recent stabbing attacks on the network. The probe was announced after a 66-year-old woman was fatally stabbed as she waited for her MARTA train. and after a separate stabbing weeks earlier that began with an altercation. federal officials said.
“Every American should be disturbed by the horrific crimes we have seen on MARTA in the last month. No one should be forced to fear for their safety because they choose to ride public transit,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a June 4 statement.
The investigation is aimed at answering a blunt question: are the current safeguards on MARTA strong enough—or are they missing something deeper—when violence breaks out in public view.
The federal review zeroes in on security, risk, and spending
The rate of “personal security events” on MARTA—assaults, robberies, attacks, and other safety breaches—was found to be twice the national average, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
In a statement, the department said the investigation will “review the transit agency’s security spending, safety protocols, and risks to riders and workers.” It framed the timing as especially urgent for a city preparing to welcome thousands of visitors for the World Cup in just two weeks.
The department said the Federal Transit Authority investigation will determine if “systemic conditions exist that endanger the public or transit workforce on the Atlanta system.”
MARTA officials were given 15 days to submit detailed reports covering crime and fare evasion mitigation, security and safety funding, historic crime trends, annual budgets, and other safety compliance information.
At the same time, the FTA will conduct an independent assessment of MARTA’s Safety Risk Reduction Program. It will also investigate MARTA’s implementation of the Required Actions Regarding Assaults on Transit Workers general directive from 2024.
Duffy tied the investigation to the administration’s broader message about holding systems accountable.
“From our nation’s capital to Chicago, we’ve made substantial progress in holding systems accountable and enhancing security for transit workers and riders,” Duffy said. “President Trump has made it clear that American families deserve better, and that’s what we are going to deliver in Georgia too.”
The death that triggered the latest scrutiny
The administration announced the investigation after the death of 66-year-old Margaret Swan, described as a great-grandmother and Atlanta resident.
Swan was traveling from the Lakewood MARTA station to the Oakland City station on May 30, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. She was sitting near the train door as a man stood next to her. Investigators said the man reached into his pocket, pulled out a folding knife, and attacked Swan. She was stabbed at least 20 times in the neck and chest while she attempted to defend herself.
Passengers ran to get help. Later, they told law enforcement that the man had no interaction with Swan before the attack.
The man was arrested at the Oakland City station and identified as 25-year-old John Elijah Matthews, a Decatur resident. He was charged with “committing an act of violence using a dangerous weapon with the intent to cause death on a mass transportation system,” a felony.
The U.S. Attorney General will determine whether the State of Georgia will seek the death penalty at a later date.
Earlier stabbing at a Georgia Tech station fed the concern
Swan’s death came less than a week after a 40-year-old man was attacked at the Georgia Tech MARTA Station.
On May 24, a man was stabbed repeatedly by another man in black pants, a flannel-style shirt, and a black baseball cap. The victim was taken to the hospital with injuries but is expected to survive.
MARTA officials released a warning to watch for the attacker, who has not yet been identified. It was also not yet clear whether the attacker and victim interacted with one another before the stabbing.
The World Cup deadline adds urgency for riders and staff
The World Cup begins on June 11, with the first match being played in Atlanta on June 15. That schedule puts MARTA under intense pressure to convince riders that safety plans are more than paper—especially as the most recent attacks appear unprovoked.
MARTA interim General Manager Jonathan Hunt and MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher told Fox5 that the World Cup plan includes 12,000 security cameras, extra uniformed and undercover officers, and real-time monitoring from the crime center.
The plan also calls for increased MARTA staffing to manage large crowds on train platforms. It includes expansion of the MARTA Hope program, which helps riders experiencing mental health crises, substance abuse, or homelessness.
Law enforcement from Atlanta Police to FBI agents will be staffed throughout the city for the duration of the World Cup.
For riders, the federal investigation signals that the question will not be limited to what happens after violence erupts. It will center on what was in place before it—and whether it was enough to stop it.
As MARTA prepares its 15-day report and the FTA carries out its independent assessment. the stakes are clear: public transit is where people go when they feel they can move freely. These attacks—and the response now coming from Washington—are forcing a reckoning with that promise on an unusually tight timetable.
MARTA investigation U.S. Department of Transportation FTA stabbings Sean Duffy Atlanta transit safety Margaret Swan John Elijah Matthews World Cup security MARTA Hope program