U.S. authorities reported that a passenger aboard a plane stabbed three people in an attempt to hijack the aircraft before his attempt was thwarted.

Police stated that the hijacker, identified as American citizen Akinyela Sawa Taylor, tried to seize control of a small Tropic Airplane in Belize on Thursday by threatening passengers with a knife, injuring three before being fatally shot.

Police Commissioner Chester Williams told reporters that the attacker wanted to leave the country and demanded additional fuel for the plane. Williams explained that the plane continued flying during the hijacking attempt and nearly ran out of fuel.

Taylor stabbed three individuals onboard, including the pilot and a passenger who shot him with a licensed firearm during the plane's landing outside Belize City on the Caribbean coast. Both the passenger and Taylor were taken to the hospital, where Taylor succumbed to his injuries.

Williams acknowledged the lack of adequate security measures at small airports in the country, which allowed Taylor to board the plane with a knife. Luke Martin, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Belize, stated that there are no details yet regarding Taylor's background or motives.