Politics
Illegal Alien Stabs Two Teens With Fork On Flight Out Of Chicago, Slaps Attendant
A passenger aboard a flight from Chicago to Germany allegedly stabbed two teens with a fork, assaulted a flight attendant and threatened to commit suicide during a wild, “unprovoked” outburst that forced the flight to make an emergency landing in Boston on Saturday.
Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, 28, is charged in U.S. District Court with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while traveling on an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts. Usiripalli is an Indian national who “does not have lawful status in the United States,” prosecutors said.
According to the charging documents, on October 25, 2025, while on board Lufthansa flight 431 en route from Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany, Usiripalli allegedly stabbed a 17-year-old male passenger in the shoulder with a metal fork. He then allegedly stabbed a second 17-year-old male passenger in the back of the head with the same utensil.
The first victim was sleeping when he woke up to see Usiripalli standing over him. The suspected attacker then used his right hand to strike the victim, listed as “Minor A,” in the left clavicle area with a metal fork. Usiripalli then allegedly lunged toward Minor B – who was seated to Minor A’s right in a middle seat in the center row of the aircraft – and struck Minor B in the back of his head with the fork. Minor B suffered a laceration to the rear of his head.
When flight crew members attempted to subdue the attacker, he allegedly raised his hand, formed a gun with his fingers, put it in his mouth and pulled an imaginary trigger. Immediately afterwards, Usiripalli allegedly turned toward a female passenger to his left and slapped her with his hand before lunging towards a flight attendant.
As a result of the disturbance, the flight was diverted to Boston Logan International Airport, where Usiripalli was immediately taken into custody. Usiripalli was previously admitted to the United States on a student visa. Most recently, he was enrolled in a master’s program in biblical studies, prosecutors said. He does not currently hold legal status in the United States.
The charge of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while traveling on an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States comes with a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
