Knife-wielding California man shot while attempting plane hijacking in Belize

An American citizen died in Belize from gunshot wounds he sustained while attempting to hijack a small Tropic Air flight on Thursday, Belizean authorities confirmed. The hijacker, identified as 49-year-old Akinyela Sawa Taylor of California, reportedly stabbed the pilot of the plane and two passengers before one of the injured passengers shot him down, Belize-based media outlet News 5 reported.

Fourteen passengers and two crew were aboard the small Cessna Caravan V3-HIG for a flight from Corozal, near the Mexican border, to San Pedro. The aircraft declared an emergency around 8:30 a.m. local time on Thursday and circled randomly for about two hours while the events unfolded before landing safely at an airport outside Belize City, the Belize Airport Concession Company said.

The hijacker succumbed to his gunshot wounds in a hospital near Belize City. The injured passengers and crew were also transported to the hospital, with one in critical condition, The Independent reported. They are expected to survive.

What was the motive for the hijacking? Police had not determined a motive for the attack, though Taylor reportedly wanted to be flown out of Belize, according to The Independent. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce on Thursday said her department was gathering details.

What did Belizean authorities say? The Belize Airports Authority on Thursday commended law enforcement and emergency services for reacting quickly once the plane landed. It said it implemented enhanced security measures such as passenger bag checks and use of specialized scanning equipment in January.