A knife-wielding US citizen tried to hijack a small Tropic airplane in Belize on Thursday, injuring three people before being fatally shot by another passenger, according to officials cited by the New York Post.

Mid-Air Attack On Flight To San Pedro

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.

Passenger Intervenes And Kills Attacker

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.