A U.S. citizen was shot dead by a passenger after trying to hijack a Tropic Air Cessna Caravan aircraft in Belize on Thursday morning.
According to a New York Post report, officials identified 49-year-old Akinyela Sawa Taylor as the knife-wielding suspect who began attacking people inside a San Pedro-bound flight from Philip SW Goldson International Airport.
A state of emergency was declared at the airport during the incident. ABC News reported that three of the 13 other passengers on board were injured.
The ABC News report stated that police received information that the plane was hijacked by a passenger on board before takeoff. Police told ABC that Taylor wanted to be taken out of the country, and he demanded more fuel for the plane.
He was then fatally shot in the chest by another passenger who had a permit to carry. The plane, which had been circling, almost ran out of fuel by the time it landed, police told ABC. All three passengers injured with knife wounds were from Belize.
The police said Taylor was denied entry into Belize over the weekend and officials are investigating how he was able to get in. It is currently unclear how he was able to get on the airplane with a knife.
Tropic Air CEO Maximillian Greif released a statement on the incident saying the pilot’s actions aboard the aircraft were “nothing short of heroic.”
“Earlier today, a Tropic Air flight faced a serious and unprecedented in-flight emergency,” he said. “In the face of incomprehensible pressure, our pilot acted with extraordinary courage and calm, guiding the aircraft to a safe landing. His actions were nothing short of heroic.”
“A number of passengers sustained injuries and are currently receiving medical care. Our hearts are with them, and we are offering all available support,” he continued.
Editor’s Note: This is a developing story.
