A pilot has been hailed a "hero" after he stopped a 15-year-old boy who stormed an airport with a rifle and demanded access to a plane. The teenager arrived at the small regional airport in Arkansas with an AR-style rifle and a handgun while demanding an aircraft and access to the airfield — but the quick-thinking pilot sprung into action and ran to grab his own gun, according to officials. The unidentified child entered Signature Aviation - one of the businesses at the Texarkana Regional Airport, at roughly 7.30am on Tuesday before approaching the front counter and flashing both guns, police and airport officials said.
Terrified staff members then fled into one of the back offices after the teen loaded a round in the chamber. Workers locked the door and called police, CNN reports. The boy meanwhile left to go to the airfield, where he caught the attention of a local private pilot. The pilot ran to his truck to grab his own gun before confronting the boy and forcing him onto the ground, officials said. After complying, the teen was eventually taken away by Texarkana police officers — who discovered another shotgun in a car believed to have been used by the boy, the airport said.
The department later released a statement praising the pilot. It wrote: “The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department applauds the heroic act by the local pilot. The fact that this incident was resolved quickly and peacefully, despite the extreme danger presented, is highly commendable,” it added. Airport director Paul Mehrlich also thanked the polit after the incident, which reportedly lasted around 10 minutes. He said . “We are very thankful that there were no injuries, no lives lost, but really it was through the actions of this pilot and by the staff at Signature Aviation, that their actions saved lives,” Mehrlich told local outlet KSLA.
