Recent Transit Attacks Raise Safety Concerns

A 66-year-old great-grandmother was tragically killed in an unprovoked stabbing on an Atlanta train. This incident has led to federal charges against John Elijah Matthews. Her daughter expressed grief and demanded answers about transit security. Bruce Levell, former MARTA operations chairman, highlighted safety concerns on the busy transit system, mentioning challenges from homeless individuals seeking shelter on trains.

Violent transit attacks in major U.S. cities have reignited commuter fears and sparked outrage over how the justice system deals with repeat offenders. The cases include shootings and stabbings in places like Atlanta’s MARTA system, New York City’s Penn Station, and the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte.

Public Transit Attacks and Repeat Offenders

1. MARTA – Atlanta

Anthony Tyrone Gresham, 42, a felon with multiple convictions, allegedly opened fire at MARTA’s Midtown station in Atlanta. He wounded a 17-year-old on Friday, June 5, then fled. Federal prosecutors charged Gresham with committing violence with intent to cause serious bodily injury on a mass transportation system, possession of ammunition by a felon, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He was captured in Douglasville two days later.

Gresham’s attack occurred shortly after the fatal stabbing of Margaret Swan, a 66-year-old great-grandmother, in a separate case on MARTA. John Elijah Matthews, a 25-year-old homeless man from Decatur, Georgia, was charged with an act of violence using a dangerous weapon with intent to cause death, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. Matthews also faces local felony murder charges.

2. Penn Station – New York City

Hector Deleon, 51, is the suspect in a stabbing spree inside Penn Station’s New Jersey Transit concourse in New York City on June 7. This random attack happened shortly after 7 p.m., leaving five people injured. Deleon, with at least seven prior arrests, had been sentenced to two years probation in a 2022 case for slashing someone in the neck.

One victim, Henry Obadiah, criticized soft-on-crime policies after being stabbed. He recalled the attack, stating it happened as he walked to the escalator. He locked eyes with the attacker, who then attacked him without provocation.

3. Lynx Blue Line – Charlotte

Decarlos Brown Jr., 35, is accused of fatally stabbing Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, aboard Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line on August 22, 2025. Federal prosecutors said Brown stabbed Zarutska from behind. He faces charges that could lead to life in prison or the death penalty.

Brown, with a history of violence and diagnosed schizophrenia, was deemed incompetent to stand trial after a mental evaluation. U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson emphasized that Brown remains in federal custody. The primary goal is justice for Iryna Zarutska and her family.

Brown may face the death penalty if found competent later, but a defendant can’t be tried or executed if deemed incompetent at the time.