Passengers and crew members overpowered a 17-year-old who boarded a plane carrying a shotgun and ammunition at Avalon Airport near Melbourne, Australia.
The incident occurred Thursday afternoon as the aircraft, bound for Sydney with approximately 160 people onboard, was preparing for takeoff. Police believe the teenager breached a security fence to access the airport tarmac before climbing the front steps to the plane.
Footage released by Australian news outlet 7News showed a passenger restraining the suspect while a ground crew member and pilot removed a utility belt containing tools the teenager was carrying. The pilot could also be seen kicking the shotgun away from the teen, who was wearing a fluorescent jacket.
“How is this possible?” someone can be heard saying in the video.
Victoria Police confirmed that the 17-year-old, from the nearby Ballarat area, was in custody. Superintendent Michael Reid told reporters that passengers had noticed the teen was carrying a gun as he climbed the steps to the aircraft.
“The male was overpowered by three of the passengers, at least,” Superintendent Reid said.
He added that local authorities were in contact with counterterrorism police but noted it was too early to determine a motive.
“No doubt this would have been a very terrifying incident for the passengers,” he said, while praising the “bravery” of those who subdued the suspect.
Barry Clark, one of the passengers involved, told Australian public broadcaster ABC that the teen appeared to be dressed like an airport worker and was “agitated.”
“All I could do was get the gun out of the way… and then put him in a hold and throw him to the ground until the police came,” Clark said.
Police reported that no one was injured during the incident. Investigators located a car and two bags belonging to the suspect nearby.
Avalon Airport is exclusively served by Jetstar, a budget airline operated by Qantas. In a statement to CBS News, the company said it was working with authorities to investigate the incident.
“We know this would have been a very distressing situation,” the statement read. “We are sincerely grateful to the customers who assisted our crew to safely manage the situation.”
Avalon Airport CEO Ari Suss confirmed the airport had reopened following the incident.
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