A knife-wielding United States citizen attempted to hijack a small Tropic Air plane in Belize on Thursday (local time), injuring three people before being shot dead by a fellow passenger, the New York Post reported, citing officials.
The incident occurred mid-air on a flight bound for San Pedro, when the 49-year-old suspect started attacking passengers with a knife.
The plane was carrying 14 passengers and two crew members.
The assailant was later identified as Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a US citizen, according to Belize Commissioner of Police Chester Williams.
Williams said Taylor stabbed three people on board, including the pilot and the passenger who shot Taylor with a licensed firearm.
He praised the passenger who intervened and shot Taylor, calling him a "hero".
Authorities said that it remains unclear how Taylor managed to bring a knife onto the plane.
Belizean officials have contacted the US embassy for assistance in the ongoing investigation into the incident.
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