17-Year-Old Boy Who Allegedly Boarded Plane with Shotgun Charged with Multiple Offences

Mar. 15, 2025

Jetstar airplane leaving the Sydney Airport.Photo:Getty

Getty

An Australian teenager has been charged with multiple offences after he allegedlyboarded a commercial flight with a firearmon Thursday, March 6.

Victoria Policeshared in a statementon Friday, March 7 that the 17-year-old had been charged with unlawfully taking control of an aircraft after the scary incident at Avalon Airport near Melbourne.

He was also charged with endangering the safe operation of an aircraft, endangering the safety of an aircraft, carrying dangerous goods on an aircraft and posing a threat to the safety of an aircraft, alongside further charges of possessing a firearm, a bomb hoax and traffic-related offenses.

The charges come after the man reportedly carried a shotgun onto a Jetstar flight bound for Sydney carrying 160 passengers.

Stock image of man in reflective vest outside of aircraft.Getty

“We had just boarded. He came on with two bags saying he needed to do maintenance,” passenger Daniel DeFino toldAustralian outlet 7News.

“That’s when the flight crew started to get nervous because there wasn’t anything planned. Then the pilot saw the shotgun, then leaped onto him. There was a guy, Barry, next to us, he got him in a headlock, and that’s when I started recording.”

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Passenger Barry Clark, who had the suspect in a headlock, explained the situation from his vantage point toABC Radio Melbourne.

“He was dressed up as a worker and he got agitated and before we knew it there was a gun — shotgun appeared — and I was worried about there being shots so all I could do was get the gun out of the way, threw it down the stairs — try to — and then put him in a hold and throw him to the ground til the police come,” Clark said.

Stock image of handcuffs.Getty

Victoria Police said Friday that the juvenile has been detained in custody since the incident and is expected to appear in child court at a later date.

Superintendent Michael Reid previously told reporters, “No doubt this would have been a very terrifying incident for the passengers.”

PEOPLE reached out to the Victoria Police for additional details on the situation, but they were unable to comment further.

source: people.com