An American military veteran was fatally shot after he hijacked a small passenger plane in Belize on Thursday, officials in Belize and the United States confirmed.
After the Tripoc Air plane carrying 14 passengers and two crew members landed safely, police in Belize identified the hijacker as Akinyela Taylor.
Chester Williams, Belize police commissioner, said that Taylor wielded a knife and stabbed two passengers and a pilot on the plane. The three were later taken to the hospital to treat their injuries.
Williams said that Taylor was shot by a passenger who was licensed to carry a firearm, which he later turned over to police. The passenger was among those stabbed and remains in critical condition as he was stabbed in the back and lungs, according to the police commissioner.
“We are praying for him,” Williams told reporters. “He’s our hero.”
Williams said that Taylor was demanding that he be flown out of the country and at one point wanted the plane to land to add fuel. U.S. Embassy spokesperson Luke Martin in Belize said Taylor insisted he be taken to the U.S.
U.S. officials did not know the cause or motive but were working with Belizean authorities to determine what happened, Martin said.
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The plane was traveling from Corozal to San Pedro and Belize authorities declared a full emergency after the hijacking, which took place at around 8:30 a.m. local time, according to a statement by the Belize Airport Concession Company.
The plane circled in random directions for hours until landing safely in an airport in the coastal town of Ladyville. All passengers were accounted for, according to the BACC, and those injured were flown to a hospital for treatment.
Williams said Taylor had attempted to enter Belize through the northern border over the northern border through Mexico, but that he was refused entry. It was unclear to law enforcement how he had entered.
