Belize Plane hijack: Meet Akinyela Sawa Taylor - 'Military veteran', teacher and football coach - who was killed after hijacking flight

A US citizen, who hijacked a small passenger plane in Belize, has died and the plane has landed safely, officials in the Latin American country said Thursday. The attacker, identified as Akinyela Sawa Taylor, injured three others before being shot and killed, police said.

The plane was traveling from Corozal to San Pedro and Belize authorities declared a full emergency after the hijacking, which took place at around 8:30 a.m. (local time), according to a statement by the Belize Airport Concession Company.

The plane circled in random directions for hours until landing safely in an airport in the coastal town of Ladyville. All passengers were accounted for, according to the BACC, and those injured were flown to a hospital for treatment.


The assailant pulled a knife while the plane was in air, demanding the domestic flight take him out of the country. Taylor stabbed three people on board, according to Williams, including the pilot and a passenger who shot Taylor with a licensed firearm as the plane landed outside Belize City. That passenger was rushed to the hospital, as was Taylor, who died from the gunshot wound.

Who was Akinyela Sawa Taylor?

The hijacker was identified as U.S. citizen Akinyela Sawa Taylor, police official said, adding that it appeared Taylor was a military veteran.

According to information released by the airport, Taylor was a teacher in the United States. He was listed online as previously being a football coach at the McCluer North High School in Florissant, Missouri.

Police said that it was unclear how Taylor boarded the plane with a knife, though he acknowledged that the country's smaller airstrips lacked security to fully search passengers.

The attacker had been denied entry to the country over the weekend, according to police. The plane had been due to fly the short route from Corozal near the Mexican border to San Pedro, off the coast. Police said it was unclear how Taylor reached Corozal.

Belizean authorities have reached out to the U.S. embassy in the country for aid in investigating the incident.

FAQs

Q1. Is there any plane hijack?
A1. Yes, a plane was hijacked in Belize.

Q2. What do we know about Belize flight?
A2. Belize flight was traveling from Corozal to San Pedro and Belize authorities declared a full emergency after the hijacking, which took place at around 8:30 a.m. (local time).