A boy with a loaded shotgun boarded a plane in Australia but was tackled
by a former boxer
[March 07, 2025]
By ROD McGUIRK
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A 17-year-old boy with a loaded shotgun
boarded a plane at an Australian airport before being restrained by a
pilot and two passengers, police said Friday.
The boy was disarmed and detained before police arrived on the scene
Thursday at Avalon Airport in Victoria state.
Barry Clark, a passenger who tackled the suspect, said the boy had posed
as a maintenance worker and became agitated when questioned by a flight
attendant at the plane’s entrance.
“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.
Passenger takes on suspect
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.
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Signage for Australian airline, Jetstar, is pictured at Melbourne
Airport, on July 20, 2024. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)
Sydney-bound Jetstar Airways Flight 610 was carrying about 150
people and no one was hurt, police said. The flight was cancelled.
Counterterrorism police not involved in the investigation
An investigation was being carried out by crime squad detectives
with no involvement from the police force’s counterterrorism unit.
The boy has been charged with multiple offenses including unlawfully
taking control of an aircraft, orchestrating a bomb hoax and
possessing a firearm, a police statement said. He was remanded in
custody to appear in a children’s court on a date to be determined.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australian airports had robust
security.
“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.
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