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Hijacking Ends Peacefully in Jamaica

HOWARD CAMPBELL

posted: 16 HOURS 6 MINUTES AGO

comments: 123

filed under: World News

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KINGSTON, Jamaica (April 20) - A gunman forced his way though airport security onto a Canadian jet near Montego Bay, holding six crew members hostage for eight hours before police and soldiers stormed the aircraft on Monday and captured him.

Nobody was killed or injured in the ordeal, which ended with a raid after talks broke down with a 20-year-old Jamaican gunman described as "mentally challenged."

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"We were getting nowhere with the negotiations," Jamaican Information Minister Daryl Vaz told The Associated Press. "Police and military went on the plane and captured him."

The suspect identified as Stephen Fray was in custody. Vaz said he is a "mentally challenged" 20-year-old man from the northwestern resort city of Montego Bay. He did not detail the man's mental condition but said he was apparently upset over a failed relationship.

The hostage crisis that began around 10:20 p.m. Sunday and ended near 6:40 a.m., when members of the Jamaica Defence Force Counter Terrorism Operations Group stormed the aircraft's cabin, according to a police statement.

The young man boarded CanJet Airlines Flight 918 in Montego Bay and demanded to be flown to Cuba, Vaz told The Associated Press. The plane had arrived from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was scheduled to stop in Santa Clara, Cuba, before returning to Canada.

A total of 159 passengers and eight crew members were aboard the Boeing 737 at the time, according to Jamaican police. Police said all the passengers and two crew members were released after a short time.

The hostage talks failed despite the involvement of the Fray's father and two brothers, who helped to get him talking before negotiators reached a dead end, Vaz said.

At least one passenger said the hijacker fired a warning shot after boarding the plane.

Alphonse Gosselin, whose 30-year-old son Christian was on the plane, said his son told him that the hijacker pointed a gun at him and other passengers. Christian and his girlfriend were among a group of 22 family members traveling to Cuba for a wedding.

"The first thing that he said to his girlfriend was, 'Be calm. Don't say a word.' He said take your passport and your credit card and put it in your back pocket. He said we'll give him the money," Gosselin said in an interview from Tracadie Sheila, New Brunswick.

All the passengers were Canadian, Woodside said.

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Passenger Brenda Grenier told the Canadian television channel CTV Newsnet that the gunman became agitated when a security guard came aboard and approached him, Grenier said. She said he ordered the pilot off the plane and shot his gun.

"That's when we all got very, very scared and people were crying and praying and we were just really frightened for all of our lives. There were children on the plane."

Grenier said a flight attendant had the idea to try to buy their freedom from the hijacker.

"We all took our money and we just, like, left our purses and our passports and everything just in the plane because we didn't want to take any chances. We just put the money in a bag and we ran out of the plane."

Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding addressed all the passengers after they were debriefed by police, according to the police statement.

The passengers were taken to a hotel, Vaz said. CanJet planned to fly another aircraft to Montego Bay to return the passengers to Canada, Woodside said.

"It's a most unfortunate situation, but I can say the passengers are happy to be alive," Vaz said. "This whole experience has been very traumatic for them."

CanJet Airlines said 174 passengers were expected on the flight, but some apparently were not aboard by the time of the hijacking.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was in Jamaica for a one-day visit, called Golding and "congratulated him for the successful resolution," Harper spokesman Dimitri Soudas said.

The charter airline is owned by Halifax-based IMP Group Ltd., according to CanJet's Web site.

Jamaican National Security Minister Dwight Nelson said the airport is expected to reopen Monday morning.

Associated Press writers Mike Melia in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2009-04-20 06:20:37

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Sr Spag

12:56 AMApr 21 2009

RBONE S18.THE OKLAHOMA BOMBER DID WITH VENGENCE, WHAT THE TEA PARTYFOLKS DID PEACEFULLY. HE PROTESTED.THE MESTAKE HE MADE WAS , HE BLEW IT ON THE WRONG DAY.HE SHOULD HAVE DONE IT ON SUNDAY , WHEN IT WAS EMPTY.

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RBONES18

11:52 PMApr 21 2009

On the tenth year anniversary of the savage, low-life racists/losers killing at COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL, I can only say I hate losers. In addition, the bombing at the OKLAHOMA STATE BUILDING, with those children blown to pieces let me hate losers even more. The racists/losers on this board should just commit suicide in the worse way.

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g0atbl0wer

11:07 PMApr 21 2009

N!GGERS ARE THE SOURCE OF PROBLEMS IN THIS WORLD. I CAN'T FVCKING STAND THESE STUPID, FILTHY, ROTTEN, SCUM SUCKING N!GGERS!!!!!!

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TreeDeco

08:12 PMApr 21 2009

Nobody was killed or injured in the ordeal, which ended with a raid after talks broke down with a 20-year-old Jamaican gunman described as "mentally challenged.">>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>"men tally challenged".......sounds like most of the population of Jamaica.

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BADEAL

08:01 PMApr 21 2009

Hey (Jmadamspa) - What the hell are you talking about? Why are you giving Obama credit for stoping the hijacking? This happened in Jamaica, not America! It was the Jamaican Prime Minister Golding, (Not Obama), who gave the order to the Jamaican police to storm the plane! I never read Obama's name one time in this hijacking report! You must have your head so far up Obama's butt, you don't know your own butt from a hole in the ground!!!!!! LOONY TOONS !!!!

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ladywiccan47

07:55 PMApr 20 2009

Been to Jamaica a few years ago, the secret is to get away from the tourist traps. Course it helped with me knowing a few families. Get back in the hills and it's beautiful and so are the people.

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DMcL363

07:38 PMApr 20 2009

This fiasco again shows up the general incompetence and worthlessness that prevails in that country. This is an aircraft fueled for a trip to Canada that could have been diverted by a not "mentally challenged" terrorist to Washington. D. C. or New York City with 9/11like results. At 10.00 PM the local security personnel, based on previous reports of their conduct, were probably asleep or busy scheming to smuggle contraband.

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Bill52055

07:33 PMApr 20 2009

Suzyr512 05:52 PMApr 20 2009 To the racist person who made the comment about negros white people kill just as much black people do it;s ashame racist people can't get that the majority of serial killers are white not black,The first black serial killer was apprended 3yrs ago mind you i said first black serial killer,So now ask yourself who commits the worst crime black people or white people. @@@@@@@ @@@@@@ @@. @@@@ @@@@@@ @@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@.Dear: Suzyr512, Here is a list of Black Serial killers I compiled for your information, also showing that the first was apprehended more than 3 years ago. I could have added more but decided to keep the list short. Wayne Williams - Atlanta, 1981. - Jake Bird Tacoma Washington killed 44 nation wide in the 1940. -- Jarvis Catoe, New York City 13 victims 1941-1942. --Mark Goudeau Arizona Killed 9 raped 15 and kidnapped 11. --Richard Jameswhite NY and Georgia 15 victims. -- and lets not forget about John Allan Mohammed and Lee...

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Earsstinks

07:32 PMApr 20 2009

Living in Florida I can say this The Jamaicans are the missing Link the people are animals that's why their tourism is down if you want to lose your head or be rape then lose your head go there.and I wouldn't go there just from seeing what they have here

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ItlnGrl117

07:25 PMApr 20 2009

Avamariah - I wasn't aware of that, and I'm sorry to hear that. I knew a Jamacian woman when I was younger. She was the sweetest, most dignified lady.

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