Richard O'Lenick, the owner of a New Jersey gun range, was identified as one of the individuals who subdued an unruly passenger on an American Airlines flight. The incident occurred Thursday night on Flight 618 from Dallas to Newark.
O'Lenick, 53, of Woodland Park, who owns the Gun for Hire shop, was traveling with his employee Juan Mejia, a retired police officer. According to O'Lenick, the passenger, identified as Arthur Layne Lundeen, 67, began yelling, "We're all going to die. This plane is going to crash."
During the flight, Lundeen allegedly started directing racist and homophobic slurs at a flight attendant. The situation escalated when Lundeen reportedly became violent and attacked other passengers.
O'Lenick and Mejia intervened to protect other travelers and restrain Lundeen. "I knew we were going to be doing this together, it wasn't a thought," O'Lenick said. "I've got his back and he's got mine."
During the struggle, Lundeen allegedly bit Mejia, prompting O'Lenick and Mejia to use duct tape and zip ties to secure him to his seat. "It was a pretty volatile situation for a while," O'Lenick stated, adding that safety was a concern. "Safety was definitely a concern, and not knowing where it was going and what the intent was."
Upon landing in Newark, the Maryland Transportation Police took custody of Lundeen. He was subsequently charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct, according to court records. Lundeen was also terminated from his employer, Long Realty, after the company became aware of the mid-air incident.
