Former St. Louis County teacher identified as hijacker who stabbed 3 people on Belize plane
ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4/AP) – A former St. Louis County teacher has been identified as the American military veteran who was fatally shot after hijacking a small enger plane in Belize.
After the Tripoc Air plane carrying 14 engers and two crew landed safely on Thursday, police in Belize identified the hijacker as Akinyela Taylor.
According to a spokesperson for the Ferguson-Florissant School District, Taylor was employed by the district from June 2018 until February 2019 and worked as an assistant football coach. “[He] is no longer d with the District in any capacity.”
Chester Williams, Belize police commissioner, said that Taylor wielded a knife and stabbed two engers and a pilot on the plane. The three were later taken to the hospital to treat their injuries.
Williams said that Taylor was shot by a enger who was licensed to carry a firearm, which he later turned over to police. The enger was among those stabbed and remains in critical condition as he was stabbed in the back and lungs, according to the police commissioner.
Williams said that Taylor was demanding that he be flown out of the country and at one point wanted the plane to land to add fuel. U.S. Embassy spokesperson Luke Martin in Belize said Taylor insisted he be taken to the U.S.,
U.S. officials did not know the cause or motive but were working with Belizean authorities to determine what happened, Martin said.
New videos surfaced on Friday showing engers huddled in the plane as it circled the area. Other clips showed the plane landing and first responders rushing to the plane to help wounded engers.
“We don’t have any information on it at all. I think the name has been released, of course. But we don’t know the situation, we don’t know why he wanted to go back to the United States or what was the reason and I mean for right now we don t have any more information on that,” Martin said.
FirstAlert4 reached out to family and went to an address listed for Taylor in public records. No one answered the door, but spoke through the home’s doorbell camera that they were not interested in speaking with media.
Neighbors did not seem to know Taylor well, but most were surprised to hear of the incident.
“For a former teacher and coach I don’t see them taking that course of action. That’s pretty deep,” one neighbor said.
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