Family of American Man Who Hijacked Small Plane in Belize Speaks

Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a 49-year-old American veteran, was shot and killed by a passenger after hijacking a Tropic Air flight in Belize and stabbing three people. Taylor had entered Belize for the first time on April 8 but was involved in multiple incidents in the days leading up to the attack, including attempting to board a flight without a ticket, being denied entry into Mexico, and assaulting a police officer. Despite these events, he was released from custody. It remains unclear how he re-entered Belize or boarded the flight.

The hijacking itself lasted nearly two hours and involved 14 passengers and two crew members. According to police, Taylor launched a knife attack mid-flight, stabbing two passengers and the pilot before being shot and killed by one of the wounded passengers. Video footage from inside the small aircraft shows terrified passengers bracing for impact as the plane landed safely after nearly running out of fuel.

Taylor’s family, including his nephew in St. Louis, Missouri, say they are stunned. “I don’t think he would do something like this,” his nephew said. “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.”

He is a former St. Louis County teacher aand a military veteran.

A spokesperson for the Ferguson-Florissant School District said Taylor worked as an assistant football coach from June 2018 to February 2019, but is “no longer affiliated with the District in any capacity.”