April 18, 2025
Akinyela Sawa Taylor drew a knife on the plane and injured three people before being shot.
Akinyela Sawa Taylor was fatally shot in the chest after attempting to hijack a Tropic Air plane in Belize April 17 with a knife.
According to officials, the incident began when authorities declared an emergency at the Philip SW Goldson International Airport because 49-year-old Akinyela Sawa Taylor began violently attacking people inside a flight at 8:30 a.m. heading to San Pedro.
The plane was housing 14 passengers at the time of the attempted hijacking, two of whom were American.
Authorities declared an emergency when the Cessna Caravan V3HIG was spotted circling the airport in random and sporadic directions after takeoff, slowly draining fuel as it flew.
Taylor, who is a US citizen, hijacked a passenger plane that has since safely landed. The attack left three people injured before Taylor was shot and killed.
While on the plane, Taylor pulled out a knife in the air and demanded that the pilots drive the domestic flight out of the country.
According to a statement by the Belize Airport Concession Company, Taylor managed to slash several passengers on the plane, including the pilot. Another passenger shot him with a licensed firearm after the incident. Taylor later succumbed to his injuries, despite emergency personnel rushing to bring the victims to the nearest hospital.
The passenger who shot Taylor has been praised for their bravery and action in the face of a dangerous situation.
Taylor was a military veteran who was currently working as a teacher in the United States. Previously, he served as a football coach at McCluer North High School in Florissant, Missouri.
Although the exact method by which Taylor snuck the knife onto the plane hasn’t been revealed yet, the United States Embassy is assisting in the investigation.
The U.S. Embassy in Belize has been tasked with assisting the police in investigating the incident.
Details are still developing.
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