A small plane flies around Tupelo, Miss., on Saturday. Police say the pilot threatened to crash the plane into a Walmart store.
Rachel McWilliams / AP
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Rachel McWilliams / AP
A small plane flies around Tupelo, Miss., on Saturday. Police say the pilot threatened to crash the plane into a Walmart store.
Rachel McWilliams / AP
The pilot, who threatened to crash a small plane into a Walmart store in Tupelo, had flown out of the nearby area, local authorities said Saturday.
At 8:35 a.m. local time, the plane was flying north of Tupelo in the “Benton County, Union Area,” Tupelo Police Department said in a statement. “Local, state and federal authorities are continuing to monitor this dangerous situation,” police said.
Police officials said they first learned of the threat around 5 a.m. local time after the pilot had alerted emergency responders of his or her intentions. The plane, which police said may have been a King Air, was flying over the northeast region of Mississippi at the time.
“The pilot contacted E911 and threatened to intentionally crash into the Wal Mart on the West Main,” police said.
Local authorities did not share any details about the identity of the pilot or the pilot’s motives, but they said they spoke to the pilot directly.
Residents have been asked to avoid the area around local Walmart and Dodges’ convenience stores until the situation is resolved.
“With the maneuverability of an aircraft of that type, the danger zone is much larger than that of a Tupelo,” the police department said.
A Walmart spokesperson told NPR that the store was evacuated and closed. The Federal Aviation Administration told NPR that it is aware of the situation and is coordinating with local law enforcement.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves wrote on Twitter That state police were also involved and closely monitoring the crisis.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
