MELBOURNE, Australia—A 17-year-old kid boarding an aircraft at an Australian airport with a loaded shotgun was detained by a pilot and two passengers, authorities said Friday.
The child was disarmed and held before police arrived Thursday at Avalon Airport in Victoria.
Barry Clark, a passenger who assaulted the suspect, stated that the child disguised as a maintenance worker and grew aggressive when questioned by a flight attendant at the plane's entry.
“I looked up and then within a second I saw the barrel of a shotgun and I thought to myself that ain’t a tool that should be on a plane,” Clark told Network 10 television.
“When I saw the complete gun I said: we’re in trouble here,” Clark said.
“Then I saw it (move) towards her chest and so I thought, well, I’ve got to do something—this is all happening in a matter of seconds,” Clark added.
Clark, a former professional boxer and sheep shearer, said he snuck up behind the boy then pushed the gun and the flight attendant away in different directions so that she would not be hit if the gun discharged.
“I then proceeded to do what I had to do and just put him in a bit of a lock, got his hand and twisted it and put it up in his back, threw him to the floor and then put my knee in his back and held him in a position where he couldn’t get out,” Clark said.
Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Reid told reporters the boy from Ballarat in regional Victoria had climbed through a hole in the airport’s security fence before making his way to the plane’s stairs.
Reid credited Clark, the pilot and another passenger with restraining the boy.
“This would have been a very terrifying incident for the passengers of that plane and Victoria Police really commend the bravery of those passengers who were able to overpower that male,” Reid said.
Sydney-bound Jetstar Airways Flight 610 was carrying about 150 people and no one was hurt, police said. The flight was cancelled.
Crime squad investigators were conducting an investigation without the cooperation of the police force's counterterrorism section.
The child has been charged with a variety of felonies, including unlawfully seizing control of an airplane, arranging a bomb hoax, and having a handgun, according to a police statement. He was remanded in detention and ordered to appear in a children's court on an undetermined date.
According to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Australian airports have strong security measures in place.
“This incident is concerning for members of the public. I commend the work of police and aviation officials in responding to it quickly,” Albanese told reporters.
Avalon Airport’s chief executive Ari Suss said his organization was working with Victoria Police in response to the emergency.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to security, we have implemented further measures across the airport, including within the terminal and surrounding areas,” Suss said in a statement.
“We continue to work closely with authorities to maintain a safe and secure environment for all travelers,” he added.
Jetstar, a budget subsidiary of Sydney-based Qantas Airways, said it was working with police and the airport to understand what happened.
