A teenager was detained by crew and passengers on Thursday, March 6, after allegedly breaching a security fence and boarding a flight with a gun at Australia’s Avalon Airport.
According to a press release from Victoria Police, officers were called to the airpot around 2.20 p.m. local time “after a male had entered a commercial flight armed with a firearm.”
“A 17-year-old boy was detained by crew and passengers on the flight,” the release continued. “At this stage officers believe the teen managed to get onto the tarmac after breaching a security fence.”
Police added that they “located two bags and a vehicle belonging to the boy” and the “Bomb Response Unit were called to assist with the bags as a safety precaution.”
The teen is still in custody and will be interviewed by police, authorities said.
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The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that the boy boarded a Jetstar flight before being tackled to the ground by passengers.
The boy was detained by three passengers before police arrived, according to U.K. newspaper The Guardian.
Victoria Police superintendent Michael Reid said, per the outlet, “As he’s approached the plane, he’s mounted or climbed the front stairs, to the front of the plane. At that point, passengers have identified the male was carrying a firearm.”
“The male was overpowered by three of the passengers at least,” he continued. “And shortly afterwards, police have arrived and taken that male into custody.”
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Police added that no one was injured during the incident, per their release. “The investigation into the incident is ongoing but there is no ongoing threat to the community,” they concluded.
According to ABC, the teen from Victoria was dressed in hi-vis clothing, similar to what the airport ground crew were wearing.
Barry Clark, the first passenger who reportedly tackled and disarmed the boy, told ABC Radio Melbourne, per the outlet, that he noticed the boy being questioned by a flight attendant.
“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.
He continued, “He had other apparatus on him so I didn’t know what his full intention was.”
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In a photo shared ABC, the teen was snapped lying on the ground while being held down by other passengers.
The outlet reported that the boy is likely to be charged with federal and state offenses. Police are reportedly not treating the case as a terror incident.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Jetstar Airways said, “We are working with police and airport authorities as they investigate a security incident at Avalon Airport earlier today.”
“The safety of our passengers and crew is our number one priority and we can confirm there were no reported injuries,” the statement continued. “We know this would have been a very distressing situation and we are sincerely grateful to the customers who assisted our crew to safely manage the situation.”
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