A 15-year-old boy stormed a small regional airport in Arkansas with an AR-style rifle while demanding a plane.
The unidentified teenager entered Signature Aviation, a business at the Texarkana Regional Airport, around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, and approached the front counter flashing the rifle and a handgun, demanding an aircraft and access to the airfield, according to police and airport officials.
The teen loaded a round in the chamber, sending staff members running to a back office, where they locked the door and called police, the airport told CNN.
The boy then left and headed toward the airfield, where he was spotted by a local private pilot.
The pilot ran and grabbed his own gun from his truck, then confronted the boy and ordered him to the ground, officials said.
The teen complied and was eventually taken into custody by Texarkana police who found another shotgun in a vehicle seemingly used by the 15-year-old suspect, the airport said.
“The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department applauds the heroic act by the local pilot,” the department said in a statement.
“The fact that this incident was resolved quickly and peacefully, despite the extreme danger presented, is highly commendable,” it added.
The ordeal lasted about 10 minutes, according to airport director Paul Mehrlich.
“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.
The teen, who was not from the area, was arrested for aggravated assault, attempted aggravated robbery and making terroristic threats, cops said.
His motive remains unclear.
He was taken to an Arkansas juvenile detention center.
