Picture Credits: @NetAxisGroup (X)
Mexico City, MEXICO: A U.S. national identified as Akinyela Taylor hijacked a small passenger aircraft in Belize on Thursday, stabbing two passengers and the pilot before being fatally shot by one of the injured passengers. The incident occurred aboard a Tropic Air flight en route from Corozal to San Pedro, carrying 14 passengers and two crew members.
Authorities say the aircraft, a Cessna Caravan (tail number V3-HIG), was flying from Corozal, near Belize’s northern border with Mexico, to the popular tourist destination of San Pedro when the attack began around 8:30 a.m. local time. In response, a full emergency was declared, and the plane began circling erratically for nearly two hours while being tailed by a police helicopter. The aircraft eventually landed safely at the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport in Ladyville.
US man hijacks plane in Belize, goes on stabbing spree and gets shot by brave passenger mid-air. Despite critical injuries, the passenger managed to take down the attacker.
— Deccan Chronicle (@DeccanChronicle) April 18, 2025
(Picture/Video courtesy : X)#UnitedState #USA #Hijacking pic.twitter.com/GhybnoNoLu
Hijacker Identified, Demands to Leave the Country
According to reports by the Associated Press, Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams identified the hijacker as Taylor and stated he was allegedly a U.S. military veteran, though U.S. officials have not confirmed his military background. Williams said Taylor demanded the plane be flown out of the country, possibly to Mexico, and at one point requested a landing to refuel. A U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Belize noted that Taylor also insisted he be taken to the United States. His motive remains unknown.
During the attack, Taylor stabbed pilot Howell Grange and passengers Fitzgerald Brown and Jair Castañeda. One of the passengers, despite suffering a serious stab wound to the back that punctured his lung, managed to shoot Taylor using a licensed firearm. The passenger later surrendered the weapon to police. “We are praying for him,” Williams said. “He’s our hero.”
Heroic Actions Avert Greater Tragedy
All three victims were taken to a hospital for treatment. The passenger who shot Taylor remains in critical condition.
Tropic Air CEO Maximillian Greif commended the pilot’s response, stating, “In the face of incomprehensible pressure, our pilot acted with extraordinary courage and calm, guiding the aircraft to a safe landing. His actions were nothing short of heroic.”
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, speaking at a press briefing in Washington, called the incident “horrifying,” and emphasized the narrow avoidance of a mass casualty event. “We are grateful, I think all of us are, that it did not turn into a mass casualty event with, I believe, over a dozen people on the plane,” Bruce said. “Clearly we know a few details. We don’t know much more.”
U.S. authorities are coordinating with Belizean officials as investigations into the hijacking continue.
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