Teen armed with gun overpowered by passengers onboard plane

Australian police have charged a 17-year-old boy who boarded a plane carrying a shotgun and ammunition. The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon when the teenager attempted to board a flight from Avalon Airport near Melbourne to Sydney, carrying 160 passengers. Footage of him being subdued by passengers and crew has been captured.

Police believe the teenager breached a security fence, entered the airport tarmac, and then climbed the front stairs of the aircraft. Near the front door, he was subdued by passengers and crew members. The unnamed 17-year-old has been detained and will appear in court to face eight charges.

The charges include unlawfully controlling an aircraft, endangering the safety of an aircraft, and making a bomb hoax. Victoria Police stated that bomb experts were called in to search a car and two bags found nearby. Video released by Australia's 7News shows the suspect being restrained by a passenger while a ground staff member and a pilot removed a tool belt from the suspect. The video also shows the pilot kicking the shotgun away from the teenager, who was wearing a fluorescent jacket.

Victoria Police said the 17-year-old, from the nearby Ballarat area, has been detained. Superintendent Michael Reid told reporters that passengers noticed the teenager was carrying a gun as he boarded the plane's stairs. "At least three passengers have restrained this male," he said. Superintendent Reid stated that local police are in contact with counter-terrorism police, but it is too early to determine his motives. "There is no doubt this would have been a very distressing event for passengers," he said, praising the "bravery" of those who restrained the suspect.

Passenger Barry Clarke told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation ABC that the teenager looked like an airport worker and was "agitated." He said: "All I could do was move the gun away... and then restrain him and throw him to the ground until the police arrived." Police stated that no one was injured in the incident. Investigators found a car and two bags belonging to the suspect nearby. Avalon Airport is served only by Jetstar, a budget airline owned by Qantas. The company said in a statement to BBC's US partner CBS News that it is cooperating with authorities in the investigation. "We know this would have been a very distressing situation," the statement read. "We sincerely thank our customers who assisted our crew in safely managing the situation." Avalon Airport CEO Ari Sassoon said the airport has reopened.