Hijacker Shot Dead After Stabbing Passengers on Belize Plane
A man hijacked a small plane in Belize, stabbing two passengers and a pilot before being fatally shot by one of the victims. The incident occurred on a Tropic Air Cessna Caravan traveling from Corozal to San Pedro, with 14 passengers and two crew members on board, according to the Belize Airport Concession Company. The hijacker, identified as Akinyela Taylor, reportedly demanded to be flown to the United States or possibly Mexico.
The aircraft circled erratically for nearly two hours, monitored by a police helicopter, before landing safely at an airport in Ladyville around 8:30 am local time. The pilot's decisive actions were praised by Tropic Air's CEO, Maximillian Greif, who called his behavior "heroic."
One of the stabbed passengers, armed and licensed to carry, shot Taylor after sustaining serious injuries himself. The Belize police commissioner, Chester Williams, confirmed the ongoing investigation and stated that the injured passenger is in critical condition. The U.S. State Department labeled the event "horrifying" and is working with Belizean authorities to understand Taylor's motives.
