The suspected high school student was in Texas with other students of his school with a humanitarian mission. The teenagers had already boarded the Airbus A319, ready for takeoff, when the “hero” decided to “joke” and sent a threatening message to his fellow travelers.
The pilots immediately drove the plane to a safe remote parking lot, and a full-scale emergency operation was launched, involving agents of the FBI's Joint Counterterrorism Team in West Texas and the local bomb squad.
“I have a bomb. I would like to share a photo, — The report said.
The flight was delayed for nearly five hours while law enforcement searched the aircraft, passengers and luggage before concluding the threat was “not credible.”
Investigators say the suspect confessed to sending the message and incriminating evidence was found on his mobile phone. He was immediately arrested on charges of declaring a false alarm through a message. In the state of Texas, this type of act is considered a felony, especially if the threat is related to public transportation.
The maximum penalty, if found guilty, is two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Apple airdrop technology allows iPhone users to send Bluetooth messages and photos to other nearby Macs, iPhones, and iPads. This is not the first such case. Last year, a 10-year-old caused an alarm on an Alaska Airlines flight to Orlando.
The same way horny people use it to share candid photos with unsuspecting passengers without their consent. In August 2022, a Southwest Airlines pilot became so angry over multiple in-flight nudity photos that he threatened to turn the plane around for Cabo.
