US man hijacks small plane in Belize, stabs 3 people before he's shot dead
The man stabbed two passengers and a pilot, before one of the stabbed passengers fatally shot him, according to officials in Belize and the United States. The passenger was licensed to carry a firearm and later turned his weapon over to the police.
"We are praying for him," Chester Williams, Belize police commissioner, told reporters. "He's our hero."
Williams identified the hijacker as Akinyela Taylor and said he was a U.S. military veteran, a report by The Associated Press said. U.S. officials could not confirm the Belize police commissioner's statement that Taylor was a military veteran.
The air flight Cessna Caravan V3HIG from Corozal to San Pedro had 14 passengers and 2 crew members onboard, the statement from P.G.I.A. said.
A full emergency was declared immediately after the incident started and the aircraft circled in random directions for approximately two hours until finally landing safely at the P.G.I.A., according to a statement by the Belize Airport Concession Company.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said at a news briefing in Washington that officials were still gathering information about what occurred.
"Horrifying," she said. "We are grateful, I think all of us are, that it did not turn into a mass casualty event with, I believe, over a dozen people on the plane. Clearly we know a few details. We don't know much more."
U.S. officials said they did not know the motive for Taylor's hijacking but were working with Belizean authorities to determine what happened.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- NBC Sports
The group in charge of tennis in the U.S. is starting its first coaching program
The U.S. Tennis Association announced the start of its first all-encompassing coaching program after an outside review of the USTA's safeguarding system offered recommendations for how to better protect players from abuse such as sexual misconduct. 'At the end of the day, we have to create safe environments for all our players,' Craig Morris, the CEO of the new USTA Coaching initiative, said in a video interview with The Associated Press from Florida. Morris said the USTA now can make sure that everyone who is certified is Safe Play approved, including completing a criminal background screening and being able to identify, respond to and prevent misconduct. The USTA estimates there are currently 25,000 to 30,000 coaches in the United States, and the country's official governing body for the sport would like to see the number rise to around 75,000 to 100,000. That would include everyone from parents teaching their children to the sorts of professional coaches who will be working with athletes at the U.S. Open, the USTA's showcase event that begins on Aug. 24. The effort is connected to the group's goal of having 35 million people playing the sport in the U.S. by 2035. 'The USTA's never been in the coaching business. We're probably the last major tennis federation in the world that doesn't do this. And it's our responsibility. … This is recruitment, marketing, benefits, services, education, certification. What's the future generation of coaching going to look like? We have to start getting high school kids and college kids looking at this as a career,' Morris said. 'This is fundamental for U.S. tennis. For the protection of this game, the USTA has to invest in protecting the delivery system of the sport,' he added. 'And for the very first time in our history, we're going to do that.' In June 2024, a 62-page report presented to the USTA Board of Directors included 19 specific recommendations for how to 'increase player safety.' The report was made public less than two months after a tennis player was awarded $9 million in damages by a jury in federal court in Florida following her accusation that the USTA failed to protect her from a coach she said sexually abused her at one of its training centers when she was a teenager. The USTA also was a defendant in four other lawsuits related to sexual abuse of tennis players over the last two decades.
San Francisco Chronicle
6 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The group in charge of tennis in the US is starting its first coaching program
The U.S. Tennis Association announced the start of its first all-encompassing coaching program on Wednesday, a little more than a year after an outside review of the USTA's safeguarding system offered recommendations for how to better protect players from abuse such as sexual misconduct. 'At the end of the day, we have to create safe environments for all our players,' Craig Morris, the CEO of the new USTA Coaching initiative, said in a video interview with The Associated Press from Florida. Morris said the USTA now can make sure that everyone who is certified is Safe Play approved, including completing a criminal background screening and being able to identify, respond to and prevent misconduct. The USTA estimates there are currently 25,000 to 30,000 coaches in the United States, and the country's official governing body for the sport would like to see the number rise to around 75,000 to 100,000. That would include everyone from parents teaching their children to the sorts of professional coaches who will be working with athletes at the U.S. Open, the USTA's showcase event that begins on Aug. 24. The effort is connected to the group's goal of having 35 million people playing the sport in the U.S. by 2035. 'The USTA's never been in the coaching business. We're probably the last major tennis federation in the world that doesn't do this. And it's our responsibility. … This is recruitment, marketing, benefits, services, education, certification. What's the future generation of coaching going to look like? We have to start getting high school kids and college kids looking at this as a career," Morris said. 'This is fundamental for U.S. tennis. For the protection of this game, the USTA has to invest in protecting the delivery system of the sport,' he added. 'And for the very first time in our history, we're going to do that.' In June 2024, a 62-page report presented to the USTA Board of Directors included 19 specific recommendations for how to 'increase player safety.' The report was made public less than two months after a tennis player was awarded $9 million in damages by a jury in federal court in Florida following her accusation that the USTA failed to protect her from a coach she said sexually abused her at one of its training centers when she was a teenager. The USTA also was a defendant in four other lawsuits related to sexual abuse of tennis players over the last two decades. ___
Fox News
9 hours ago
- Fox News
American teen pilot detained in Antarctica while raising money for cancer on solo trip
An American-Asian teenager set out on a journey to do good by raising funds for cancer research — until this adventure came to an abrupt halt. The young pilot, Ethan Guo, set out in his small plane to become the youngest person to fly solo across the world. Guo was detained by Chilean authorities in Antarctica, The Associated Press (AP) reported. Authorities allege the 19-year-old landed his Cessna 182Q plane without authorization and provided "false flight plan data" — which launched an investigation. He was authorized to fly only over Punta Arenas, Chile, according to prosecutors, as AP reported, but Guo continued going south. By his own choice, Guo has been staying at a Chilean territory military base, since he's been unable to get a flight out due to weather conditions, according to AP. The Chilean territory covers a region in West Antarctica as well as nearby islands, according to The Oxford Science Park. Guo was first charged with handing false information to ground control and landing without authorization until an agreement was reached between his attorneys and Chilean prosecutors, AP noted. In its 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, the U.S. State Department examined whether Chile engages in prolonged detention without charges. "The constitution prohibited arbitrary arrest and detention and provided for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of their arrest or detention in court," the report stated. "The government generally observed these requirements." The judge dropped the charges on Monday, but Guo is to give a $30,000 donation to a children's cancer foundation within 30 days to avoid a trial. Guo must also leave Antarctica as soon as he can and is prohibited from returning to Chilean territory for three years. He told AP via text message that he was relieved by the case's outcome. "I remain in Antarctica awaiting approval for my departure flight … I sincerely hope they give it to me soon so that I and my plane can continue with my original mission." Bryan Stern of Gray Bull Rescue, a nonprofit focused on saving lives in some of the world's most dangerous places, told Fox News Digital, "Just like in America, both sides need to be emotionally ready to settle." Added Stern, "Dealing with Chilean authorities is very similar to dealing with many countries in Latin America … They have laws and they expect them to be followed. It's a sovereign country, and presenting a legal argument or a humanitarian argument, and allowing cooler heads to prevail, is the key." He also said, "Bottom line is, the kid broke the law, and an arrangement and negotiation that is amicable for everybody while respecting the sovereignty of a country must occur." Stern also said travelers should not go to "high-risk" destinations. "Right now, there is not an entity within the executive branch really in charge of an American in trouble if they violate a law in a foreign country," said Stern. A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The department has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens … Whenever a U.S. citizen is in need of consular assistance overseas, we stand ready to assist." The spokesperson also shared that due to privacy concerns, the department had no further comment on the case at hand. The Associated Press contributed reporting.
