'Hero' pilot stops 15-year-old boy who stormed airport with rifle and demanded a plane 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 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.
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.
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.
“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.
