Latest news with #AkinyelaSawaTaylor
Daily Mirror
22-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Strange history of teacher who hijacked plane and stabbed three in rampage
Akinyela Sawa Taylor, who stabbed three people on a Belize flight, is rumoured to be a US veteran and teacher, and less than two years ago published a book with a troubling message about a 'vision' Many people hate flying, harbouring fears of crashes, turbulence, or terrorism. And one of those fears came true for 14 unlucky passengers and two crew members who found themselves hijacked at knifepoint soon after takeoff. The plane started circling as the incident unravelled, and was even followed by a helicopter towards the end of its journey as police communicated with a passenger via text. Pilot Howell Grange was one of the three people stabbed during the horrifying flight, but miraculously managed to land the plane despite deep wounds on his right arm, back, and even his face. While there was no loss of life on the plane bar the knifeman himself, many people remain unsettled as authorities try to figure out many mysteries behind the hijacking. A US citizen has now been identified as the man who hijacked a Tropic Air flight in Belize on April 17. In the terrifying incident, Akinyela Sawa Taylor, 49, revealed and brandished a knife, going on to stab pilot Howell Grange and two passengers, named as Fitzgerald Brown and Jair Castañeda. There's an ongoing investigation in place in both America and Belize, with many questions still unanswered. Police state that just days prior to his attack, Taylor had been denied entry into Belize - so how did he get himself into the country? It's also said that Taylor pulled the knife in an attempt to get the domestic flight to refuel and leave Belize, but unknown where he wanted to go and why. Most obviously, authorities are still trying to figure out his motivations and how he got the knife onto the plane. Taylor is now dead, having been shot in the chest by a fellow passenger who was legally carrying a firearm - preventing what could have been a mass disaster with 14 passengers on the small Cessna Caravan V3HIG utility aircraft. Despite police not being able to question the hijacker, some details of his past have emerged. Police Commissioner Chester Williams spoke at a conference after the horror flight, and said it seemed that Taylor was a US veteran, who, in photos of his passport, was born in California on February 19, 1976. Meanwhile, the US Embassy, who are helping Belize in their investigation into Taylor, said that it had no details on Taylor's background or motivation, according to Reuters. The outlet reports that Philip SW Goldson International Airport, which declared a state of emergency at the time, had shed more light on his past. The airport claimed that Taylor worked as a teacher, having previously coached football at the McCluer North High School in Florissant, Missouri. The Ferguson-Florissant School District has released a statement on Taylor's employment, clarifying that he was an assistant football coach at the high school from June 2018 to February 2019, but is 'no longer affiliated with the District in any capacity,' according to Channel 5 Belize. Taylor's family has also now spoken out, expressing shock at the news and claiming he seemed in good mental health just a couple of weeks before carrying out the hijacking. His nephew, from St. Louis, Missouri - an area where Taylor is known to have many connections - said: "I don't think he would do something like this. He was okay when I last saw him two weeks ago. He wasn't on any medication. No signs of PTSD. This is a big shock to me and the rest of our family." In a strange twist, Taylor also recently appeared to have published a book about redemption partly based on his own experiences. Journey of the Mire: The Calling was released on August 14, 2023 under the pen name Tommie Taylor III, and features a main character called Akinyela alongside including a photo of Taylor on the back. In one section of the novel as available on Amazon, Tommie Taylor III wrote: 'The vision had etched itself in Akinyela's soul, a beacon of purpose that burned brighter than any star in the sky. It beckoned him to embark on a perilous journey through the Mire, a treacherous landscape of swamps, murky waters, and ever-shifting paths.'
Gulf Today
18-04-2025
- Gulf Today
US citizen shot dead by passenger after attempting to hijack plane
A US man hijacked a small plane in Belize on Thursday, stabbing two passengers and a pilot, before one of the stabbed passengers fatally shot him, officials in Belize and the United States said. The plane then landed safely. The Tropic Air plane was carrying 14 passengers and two crew members, and was flying from Corozal, a small town near Belize's border with Mexico, heading to the popular tourist destination of San Pedro when it was hijacked. The plane circled in random directions for nearly two hours as the drama unfolded in the skies. The plane was tailed by a police helicopter before touching down at an airport in the coastal town of Ladyville. The would-be hijacker threatened the pilot shortly after the Cessna Grand Caravan from Belize's Tropic Air took off in the morning with 14 on board from the town of Corozal. It was headed for the Belizean island of San Pedro, but the man ordered the pilot to head "out of the country," police commissioner Chester Williams told Channel 5 news. A Tropic Air counter is seen at Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport in Belize City. AFP The plane hovered for some time over the international airport of Belize City before landing just as it was about to run out of fuel, at which point the hijacker stabbed two fellow passengers. One had a firearm he was licensed to carry, and shot the attacker dead, according to officials and local media. Police identified the assailant as 49-year-old US national Akinyela Sawa Taylor, who was apparently a military veteran. The injured passengers were taken to the hospital. The US Embassy in Belize expressed its regret over the incident on the eve of the Easter long weekend. "It really highlights the importance of safety and security," the embassy's public affairs officer Luke Martin told reporters. "We have a strong relationship with Belizean law enforcement, and in times like this, that partnership proves crucial," with a quick exchange of information, he added. Agencies
Daily Tribune
18-04-2025
- Daily Tribune
US Man Shot Dead After Attempted Mid-Air Hijacking on Belize Flight
A shocking mid-air incident unfolded over Belize skies on Thursday when a 49-year-old American man attempted to hijack a small commercial flight bound for San Pedro. Armed with a knife, the suspect injured three passengers before being fatally shot by a fellow traveler, according to reports from The New York Post. The attacker, identified as Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a US citizen, launched the assault aboard a Tropic Air flight. As panic broke out on the small aircraft, one brave passenger took decisive action, shooting Taylor and stopping the attack. Belize Commissioner of Police Chester Williams confirmed the suspect's identity and hailed the intervention, calling the armed passenger a "hero" for preventing a potential tragedy in the skies. Authorities are still investigating how Taylor managed to board the flight with a weapon, with security protocols now under scrutiny. Belizean officials have reached out to the US Embassy for cooperation in the ongoing probe. The condition of the three injured passengers has not been disclosed, and no further injuries were reported among other passengers or crew.
Times of Oman
18-04-2025
- Times of Oman
US citizen attempts to hijack plane in Belize, shot dead by passenger
Belmopan: A knife-wielding US 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 assailant was later identified as Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a US citizen, according to Belize Commissioner of Police Chester Williams. Commissioner Williams praised the passenger who intervened and shot Taylor, calling them a "hero", as reported by the New York Post. 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.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
Knife-Wielding American Citizen Shot and Killed After Hijacking Plane in Belize
A U.S. citizen allegedly hijacked a small plane at knifepoint in Belize on Thursday, April 17, according to police. Akinyela Sawa Taylor, 49, allegedly hijacked a Tropic Air Belize plane and was one of 14 passengers, officials said, per ABC News. The plane was traveling from Corozal to San Pedro. Around 8:30 a.m., Taylor took control of the plane before takeoff because he wanted more fuel so he could leave Belize. However, the aircraft circled for hours before landing safely at Ladyville airport. During the flight, Taylor allegedly stabbed two passengers, Fitzgerald Brown and Jair Castañeda, and the pilot, Howell Grange. One of the passengers who had a licensed firearm shot Taylor as the plane landed. The injured passengers and pilot survived. However, they were airlifted to a hospital for treatment. Taylor was also taken to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival, per Newsweek. Taylor was refused entry into the country over the weekend, so officials are investigating how he entered Belize, police said. He was a military veteran and former football coach at McCluer North High School in Florissant, Mo., per Reuters. Related: The True Story of Hijack '93: Why 4 Young Men Hijacked a Nigerian Plane in 1993 — And Where They Are Now U.S. Embassy spokesperson Luke Martin in Belize said that Taylor was insistent on returning to the U.S., adding that the embassy is working with local police. 'We don't know why he wanted to go back to the United States," Martin said, per Newsweek. During a press briefing on Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce called the incident "horrifying." "We are grateful, I think all of us are, that that 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," Bruce said. Belize's Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said at a press conference that the incident 'is something that is going to be discussed intensively at the next national security council meeting,' per ABC News. Williams added that the pilot did an "exceptional job" in the dangerous situation. Related: New Evidence Discovered in D.B. Cooper Skyjacking Case Uncovers 'a Compelling Person of Interest' Tropic Air Belize CEO Maximillian Greif echoed Williams' sentiment, calling the pilot's actions "nothing short of heroic,' per ABC News. "Our pilots undergo rigorous training to respond effectively and efficiently to any situation, and today we pause to recognize the bravery, skill and leadership that brought our aircraft home safely,' Greif said, adding that the company is offering "all available support" to the injured passengers. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Representatives for the Belize Airport Concession Company, the U.S. State Department and Tropic Air Belize did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for more information on Thursday. Read the original article on People
