A gun shop owner from New Jersey and his employee subdued an unruly passenger on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Newark, prompting the plane to divert to Baltimore/Washington International Airport. The incident occurred on September 7, 2026, when passenger Layne Arthur Lundeen, 67, of Arizona, became disruptive approximately two hours into the flight.
Richard O'Lenick, 53, owner of Gun for Hire in Woodland Park, and his employee Juan Mejia, a retired police officer, were returning from a gun expo. According to O'Lenick, Lundeen, who appeared intoxicated, began yelling at a passenger next to him, launching into a tirade about Jesus and hell. Flight attendants intervened, and Lundeen allegedly directed racial slurs, including the N-word, at a Black flight attendant and made homophobic remarks.
Witnesses reported that Lundeen then began flailing his arms, striking another passenger before grabbing their throat. A woman seated behind Lundeen retaliated by hitting him, and Lundeen struck her in return. At this point, Mejia intervened, assisting the passenger Lundeen had been bothering before restraining Lundeen himself. O'Lenick joined Mejia, and with the help of a flight attendant who provided zip ties and another passenger, they secured Lundeen. Despite their efforts, Lundeen continued to resist, allegedly biting Mejia.
O'Lenick recounted that flight attendants suggested duct taping Lundeen's mouth, but Mejia declined to avoid interfering with his breathing. Instead, they used duct tape to secure Lundeen to his seat, wrapping it around his head when he attempted to bite O'Lenick. During the struggle, Lundeen allegedly told O'Lenick, "We're all going to die. This plane is going to crash."
As the flight began its descent into Baltimore, O'Lenick returned to his seat, but Lundeen resumed his aggressive behavior towards Mejia within seconds. O'Lenick again intervened to help restrain Lundeen until the plane landed. Upon arrival, Maryland Transportation Police and federal agents boarded the aircraft. O'Lenick and Mejia remained with Lundeen until authorities took him into custody. The flight experienced further delays due to Lundeen's injuries, which caused bleeding in the cabin.
Lundeen faces charges of disorderly conduct and second-degree assault in Maryland, with the FBI considering federal charges. The real estate company Lundeen was affiliated with, Long Realty, confirmed he has been terminated. CEO Kevin Kaplan stated that the company ended its affiliation upon learning of the incident, citing that Lundeen's alleged conduct was inconsistent with the company's expected standards of professionalism and respect.