A 49-year-old U.S. national, Akinyela Sawa Taylor, was fatally shot after attempting to hijack a Tropic Air flight in Belize with a knife on Thursday.

He injured several passengers before being shot by another passenger, whom officials called a hero.

The plane, carrying 14 passengers and two crew, circled the airport for over an hour before safely landing.

A state of emergency was declared, and authorities are investigating how Taylor boarded the flight after previously being denied entry into the country, the New York Post has reported.

The U.S. Embassy is assisting in the investigation.

Written by B.C. Begley