A flight from Chicago to Germany was diverted after a man allegedly stabbed two other passengers with a fork.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts says that 28-year-old Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli stabbed two others on the flight with a metal fork – one in the shoulder and one in the head.
Following meal service, Minor A was sleeping lightly in a middle seat when he allegedly awoke to see Usiripalli standing over him,” the Attorney General’s press release said.
Attorney’s Office Describes The Attack
“It is alleged that Usiripalli used his right hand to strike Minor A in the left clavicle area with a metal fork. Usiripalli then allegedly lunged toward Minor B – who was seated to Minor A’s right in a middle seat in the center row of the aircraft – and struck Minor B in the back of his head with the fork. Minor B suffered a laceration to the rear of his head.”
One of the teens said that he wasn’t injured due to the thick sweatshirt he wore during the attack. He said that he exchanged a simple greeting with Usiripalli – seated next to him the flight – and that they were otherwise complete strangers.
The press release then says that Usiripalli raised his hand and made a gun with his fingers when crew members attempted to subdue him. He fired an imaginary gun before turning to slap a female passenger. He attempted to slap another crew member before he was eventually subdued.
Passengers Were Given Hotels, Rebooked Flights
The flight was eventually diverted to Boston’s Logan International Airport, where Usiripalli was taken into custody. Lufthansa, the airline that ran the original flight, offered hotel accomodations and bookings on next available flights.
The company officially attributed the diversion to the actions of “was necessitated by the behavior of an unruly passenger, who was taken into custody by local authorities upon arrival.
The attorney’s office says Usiripalli faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if he is found guilty. He’s set to appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. Usiripalli had been in the United States on a student visa, and he sought a master’s program in biblical studies.
