MEXICO CITY (AP) — A U.S. man hijacked a small plane in Belize on Thursday, stabbing two passengers and a pilot, before one of the passengers fatally shot him, officials in Belize and the United States said. The plane then landed safely.
The Tripoc Air plane was carrying 14 passengers and two crew members, and was flying from Corozal, a small town near Belize’s border with Mexico, heading to the popular tourist destination of San Pedro when it was hijacked.
The plane circled in random directions for nearly two hours as the drama unfolded in the skies. The plane was tailed by a police helicopter before touching down at an airport in the coastal town of Ladyville.
The two wounded passengers and the pilot were being treated at a hospital for their injuries, officials said.
Chester Williams, Belize police commissioner, identified the hijacker as Akinyela Taylor and said he was a U.S. military veteran.
One of the stabbed passengers managed to shoot at Taylor, who was killed, Williams said, adding that the passenger was licensed to carry a firearm and later turned his weapon over to police. The passenger was stabbed in his back and suffered a puncture to his lungs, Williams said, adding that he remains in critical condition.
“We are praying for him,” Williams told reporters. “He’s our hero.”
Williams said that Taylor was demanding to be flown out of the country, possibly to Mexico, and at one point wanted the plane to land to add more fuel.
U.S. Embassy spokesperson Luke Martin in Belize said Taylor also insisted that he be taken to the U.S.
“We don’t know why he wanted to go back to the United States or what was the reason,” Martin said, adding that U.S. officials did not know the motive for Taylor’s hijacking but were working with Belizean authorities to determine what happened.
Martin could not confirm the Belize police commissioner’s statement that Taylor was a military veteran.
Belize authorities declared a full emergency immediately after the incident started, around 8:30 a.m. local time, according to a statement by the Belize Airport Concession Company.
Maximillian Greif, the CEO of the airline company, said the hijacking was a “serious and unprecedented in-flight emergency.” He said safety remains a “top priority” for the airline.
“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,” Greif said
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