An American military veteran was shot and killed after he hijacked a small passenger plane in Belize on Thursday, according to officials from both Belize and the United States.

The hijacker, identified as Akinyela Taylor, took control of the Tripoc Air plane, which was carrying 14 passengers and two crew members. However, the plane landed safely, and Taylor was fatally shot by the authorities. Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams said that Taylor attacked people on the plane with a knife, stabbing two passengers and the pilot. All three were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Williams also said that one of the passengers, who had a license to carry a gun, shot Taylor. That passenger then gave the gun to the police. He was also one of the people stabbed and is in critical condition because he was stabbed in the back and lungs, according to the commissioner. "We are praying for him," Williams told reporters. "He's our hero." Williams said that Taylor was asking to be flown out of the country and, at one point, wanted the plane to stop and refuel.

According to US Embassy spokesperson Luke Martin in Belize, Taylor kept insisting that he be taken to the United States. "US officials did not know the cause or motive but were working with Belizean authorities to determine what happened," Martin said.

A plane flying from Corozal to San Pedro was hijacked around 8:30 am local time, leading Belize authorities to declare a full emergency, as stated by the Belize Airport Concession Company (BACC). The plane flew around aimlessly for several hours before safely landing at an airport in the coastal town of Ladyville. According to the BACC, all passengers were safe, and those who were injured were taken to a hospital for treatment. Williams said that Taylor tried to enter Belize from the north, coming through Mexico, but he was denied entry. Law enforcement was not sure how he eventually got into the country.