Latest news with #CessnaCaravanV3HIG
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.'
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
US man hijacks small plane in Belize, stabs 3 people before he's shot dead
Authorities at the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (P.G.I.A.) say they were alerted to a U.S. man who was hijacking a small plane in Belize on Thursday. 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." Young American Tourists' Cause Of Death Revealed After They Were Found 'Motionless' At Beach Resort 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. Read On The Fox News App 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. Atlanta Bus Hijacking Suspect Had 19 Prior Arrests, Mental Illnesses, Family Says 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 article source: US man hijacks small plane in Belize, stabs 3 people before he's shot dead
Fox News
18-04-2025
- Fox News
US man hijacks small plane in Belize, stabs 3 people before he's shot dead
Authorities at the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (P.G.I.A.) say they were alerted to a U.S. man who was hijacking a small plane in Belize on Thursday. 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.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Small airplane hijacked in Belize, suspect dead
(NewsNation) — Airport officials say several passengers sustained injuries after an individual hijacked a small Cessna airplane in Belize Thursday morning. Authorities with the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport in Belize City said in a statement that they were alerted around 8:30 a.m. local time that a hijacker was aboard a Cessna Caravan V3HIG. Belize media outlets have reported that the suspect is an American citizen, citing the local police commissioner. The plane was carrying 14 passengers and 2 crew members on board and was headed from Corozal to San Pedro, officials said. A full emergency was immediately declared as the aircraft 'circled in random directions' before safely landing at approximately 10:12 am. The suspect is reportedly dead, authorities said. All passengers were accounted for by emergency personnel with various injuries reported, the statement said. The injured were flown to a local hospital for treatment. Officials said an investigation is ongoing. The flight departed from Corozal at 8:17a.m at an altitude of 1,025 feet, according to Flightradar24. It continued toward Belize City and then vectored off the Belize coast for little more than an hour. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said they are aware of the events in Belize. 'We watched that unfold as everyone else did. 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,' Bruce said. 'Clearly we know a few details, we don't know much more…. It's terrifying… we don't know about injuries or any other details so I certainly can't comment. It seems like there was obviously effective law enforcement on the ground.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
