An American military veteran was fatally shot after he hijacked a small passenger plane in Belize on Thursday, officials in Belize and the US confirmed. Once the Tropic Air plane carrying 14 passengers and two crew members landed safely, police in Belize identified the hijacker as Akinyela Taylor, the AP reports. Chester Williams, Belize police commissioner, said Taylor wielded a knife and stabbed two passengers and a pilot on the plane. The three were later taken to the hospital for treatment of their injuries.
Williams said 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 Taylor was demanding that he be flown out of the Caribbean country and at one point wanted the plane to land to add fuel. US Embassy spokesperson Luke Martin in Belize said Taylor insisted he be taken to the US.
US officials did not know the cause or motive but were working with Belizean authorities to determine what happened, Martin said. The plane was traveling from Corozal to San Pedro, and Belize authorities declared a full emergency after the hijacking, which took place at around 8:30am local time, according to a statement by the Belize Airport Concession Company. The plane circled in random directions for hours until landing safely at Philip Goldson international airport in the coastal town of Ladyville, per the Guardian. All passengers were accounted for, according to the BACC, and those injured were flown to a hospital for treatment.
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