An American veteran was fatally shot after he hijacked a small passenger plane in Belize Thursday and stabbed three passengers. At around 8:30 a.m. local time, Akinyela Taylor, 49, wielded a knife and lunged at three people, including one that he struck in the back and lungs. The latter passenger then shot Taylor dead, using a firearm that he was licensed to carry. All passengers were taken to the hospital to treat their injuries and the latter remains in critical condition. The tragic incident took place on a Tropic Air Belize plane that carried only 13 other passengers and was flying from Corozal to San Pedro. The flight made an emergency landing in Ladyville following the incident. Mid-hijack, Taylor had ordered the pilot to take him out of the country and demanded more fuel for the plane. U.S. officials do not know the cause or motive but are working with Belizean authorities. Taylor was refused entry to the country over the weekend and officials are investigating how he was able to get in. The Tropic Air CEO said in a statement that the pilot “acted with extraordinary courage and calm” and his actions were “nothing short of heroic.”
