US Man Shot Dead Mid-Air After Hijacking Small Plane In Belize, Stabs Passenger

A US man was shot dead after hijacking a small passenger plane in Belize, injuring two passengers in the mid-air ordeal.

The hijacker, identified as Akinyela Sawa Taylor, took control of the domestic flight at knifepoint while 14 passengers were onboard. Two passengers were injured during the incident, including one who was stabbed in the back, The Guardian reported.

Taylor ordered the pilot to take him out of the Caribbean nation of Belize, but was shot in the chest by another passenger, according to Belize’s Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams.

The aircraft, which was traveling from Corozal to San Pedro, flew erratically along the coastline near Belize City before landing safely at Philip Goldson International Airport with fuel nearly depleted.

Taylor was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. One of the injured passengers remains critical after being stabbed in the back.

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While details about the incident are still emerging, Williams said that the situation could have been far more tragic given the aircraft’s low fuel levels.  

Police were deployed to various airports after being contacted by passengers onboard, unsure of where the plane would land. A rescue helicopter was also tracking the aircraft.

"We were hoping that we don’t have to move from a search-and-rescue operation to a search-and-recovery operation. The helicopter was to follow the plane to see where it would land. So if they had decided to crash-land the plane in the sea, or on one of the islands, we would have been there quickly to respond and provide assistance to those passengers who might not be able to survive," the report said citing Taylor.

Taylor's motives remain unknown, but according to Commissioner Williams, he had previously been denied entry into Belize, and how he managed to cross the border is still uncertain.

Williams stated that authorities would conduct a review of security protocols for domestic air travel.

A spokesperson for the US embassy said officials are cooperating with Belizean authorities in the ongoing investigation. "We share that commitment with them to make sure that Belize is safe, the airlines are safe, the tourists coming here are safe, borders are safe and secure," he said.

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