A teenager was taken into custody on Thursday, March 6, after allegedly sneaking onto a flight with a firearm at Avalon Airport in Australia.
Victoria Police reported that officers arrived at the airport around 2:20 p.m. local time after receiving reports of a man armed with a gun who had boarded a commercial flight. The police confirmed that a 17-year-old boy was apprehended by the flight crew and passengers.
Authorities believe that the teenager accessed the tarmac by climbing over a security fence. Police later found two bags and a vehicle linked to the boy. As a precaution, the Bomb Response Unit was called in to check the bags.
The teenager is still in custody and will be interviewed by investigators. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during this incident, and law enforcement stated there is no ongoing threat to the public.
According to reports, the boy had boarded a Jetstar flight before being subdued by passengers. One of these passengers, Barry Clark, recounted that he noticed the teenager acting suspiciously while wearing an outfit resembling that of airport staff. Clark described how he tackled the teenager after seeing the weapon and was worried that shots might be fired.
In a photo shared by news outlets, the boy was seen lying on the ground as passengers held him down until the police arrived. It is anticipated that he will face both federal and state charges, but police are not considering this as a terror-related incident.
Jetstar Airways released a statement indicating that they are cooperating with authorities in the investigation and emphasized that the safety of their passengers and crew is their top priority. They expressed appreciation for the passengers who helped manage the situation safely.
