A US citizen armed with a knife attempted to hijack a Tropic Air flight in Belize on Thursday, injuring three people before being fatally shot by a fellow passenger, authorities said.
The mid-air chaos unfolded on a domestic flight bound for the island of San Pedro, when the suspect, identified as 49-year-old Akinyela Sawa Taylor, began attacking passengers with a knife, according to Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams.
Williams confirmed the suspect was killed by another passenger who intervened during the attack.
“We consider this passenger a hero,” Williams said, as reported by the New York Post. “Their actions likely prevented a much greater tragedy.”
Details on how Taylor managed to smuggle the weapon onto the small aircraft remain unclear. Authorities have launched a full investigation and are working with the U.S. Embassy in Belize.
Tropic Air has not commented publicly on the incident as of Friday morning.
The identities and conditions of the injured passengers have not been released.
