US Man Hijacks Belize Plane, Shot by Passenger Mid-Flight

Highlights

A US man hijacked a Belize flight with a knife and was shot dead by a passenger. Three people, including the pilot, were injured in the mid-air attack.

A U.S. national armed with a knife hijacked a domestic Tropic Air flight in Belize on Thursday, prompting a deadly mid-air confrontation, authorities confirmed.

The incident occurred aboard a flight en route from Corozal, near Belize's northern border with Mexico, to San Pedro, a popular tourist spot. The small aircraft carried 14 passengers and two crew members.

Police officials identified the hijacker as Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a U.S. citizen. According to Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams, Taylor produced a knife mid-flight and attempted to force the pilot to divert the plane out of Belizean airspace. During the attempted hijacking, Taylor stabbed the pilot and two passengers.

One of the injured passengers managed to shoot Taylor using a licensed firearm. Taylor died from the gunshot wounds. The passenger who fired the weapon suffered a lung puncture and remains in critical condition at a local hospital. The pilot and the other injured passenger were also hospitalized and are under medical care.

The aircraft remained airborne for nearly two hours during the chaos before safely landing, officials said.

Authorities are now investigating how Taylor boarded the plane with a weapon. Commissioner Williams noted that smaller airstrips in Belize often lack the resources for thorough passenger screening.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated that officials are still compiling facts regarding the hijacking. "We are grateful this did not escalate into a mass casualty situation," she said.

Public records suggest Taylor had a background in education and sports, previously serving as a football coach at McCluer North High School in Florissant, Missouri. However, school officials confirmed he was not employed there at the time of the incident.