After an altercation aboard a Jetstar Airways flights, a seventeen-year -old kid was charged with eight offenses.
Police in Australia have reported that a teenager was caught after he boarded a commercial airplane carrying a loaded shotgun.
Following the incident at Avalon Airport, around 60km (37 miles) from Melbourne, on Thursday, the 17-year-old kid was overpowered and taken into custody by passengers and crew, according to Victoria Police.
The Jetstar Airways aircraft carried about 160 passengers and staff members, and none of them were injured.
The adolescent was charged by police with eight offenses, including possessing a firearm and jeopardizing the safe operation of an aircraft.
Police claimed that the teenager threatened passengers and crew and planted a phony homemade explosive during his Friday appearance in juvenile court, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
On Thursday, Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Reid informed reporters that multiple passengers had overpowered the teenager.
“Victoria Police truly commend the bravery of the passengers who were able to overpower that male”, Reid said, adding that the situation would have undoubtedly been extremely frightening for the passengers on that plane.
One of the passengers who attacked the suspect, Barry Clark, told local media that he had acted quickly after witnessing the guy become upset during a dispute with a flight attendant about the gun.
In an interview with Network 10, Clark stated, “I saw the barrel butt, and when I saw the entire gun, I said we’re in trouble here, and I saw it toward her chest, so I thought, well, I’ve got to do something”.
All of this is taking place in a few short seconds. So I discreetly got up. The young girl was facing me, he was facing away from me, and the pistol was the only thing in sight”, Clark remarked.
“But I was aware that if I moved to the side and pushed the gun away from him , it would, at the very least, go off in the side of the plane, where no one would be present”.