U.S. Veteran Fatally Shot After Hijacking Plane in Belize, Three Injured

A U.S. citizen armed with a knife hijacked a Tropic Air flight in Belize on Thursday, injuring several passengers and a pilot before being fatally shot by a fellow passenger with a licensed firearm. The hijacker, identified as Akinyela Taylor, demanded that the plane be flown out of the country and attempted to have it refueled as it circled for nearly two hours. The pilot managed to land the aircraft safely at Philip Goldson International Airport, where police and emergency services were waiting. Three passengers were treated for knife wounds, with one in critical condition after both being stabbed and shooting the hijacker. Belizean authorities and the U.S. Embassy are investigating the incident, including how Taylor, previously denied entry into Belize, boarded the plane with a weapon. Both the actions of the passenger who intervened and the pilot were praised as heroic by officials.