A wild flight in Belize saw a US Army veteran hijack a small passenger plane and stab numerous passengers before being stopped by a fellow passenger.
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Akinyela Taylor, a 49-year-old US Army veteran, boarded the small plane from Corozal Municipal Airport to Ambergris Caye. He managed to board the plane with a knife. Shortly after takeoff, Taylor began threatening the pilot and 14 other passengers.
Taylor demanded that the plane head out overseas. However, the pilot told him that there wasn't enough fuel, and they were quickly running low. In response, the US veteran stabbed three passengers. Footage sent from the plane to local news sources showed them bleeding as he commanded the pilot.
The pilot began flying erratically, dipping down to 500 feet shortly after takeoff. "'He was saying he wanted to be taken out of the country," one of the passengers revealed during texts they sent to the police during the event.
Passenger Plugs Veteran On Plane
As the plane came down to land, one of the other passengers on the plane reacted to the crazed US veteran. Despite being stabbed and gravely wounded, they acted. As the plane came into land at Belize City airport to waiting police they pulled out a firearm.
The passenger, who also managed to bring a deadly weapon on the plane, shot Taylor in the chest. As the plane touched down, the police were able to remove the dead US veteran from the plane and give medical assistance to the other passengers. The armed vigilante handed over their licensed weapon.
Two people are being treated for their stab wounds. One of them is the person who shot and killed the hijacker. A statement released by the police said, "Sadly, that passenger is in a critical condition because he was stabbed in the back. His lung seems to have collapsed." They have congratulated him. "He's our hero, I must say, for today ... the hijacker is dead."
An investigation is underway as to how the US veteran and the other passenger managed to get lethal weapons onto the plane. The airport was small and only had minimal security. Now, local authorities say they will at least install scanners and bag checks.
