A passenger has been charged by US authorities for allegedly stabbing two teenagers with a metal fork on a Lufthansa Boeing 747 flight from Chicago to Frankfurt.
The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts confirmed on October 27, 2025, that Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, 28, was arrested after Lufthansa flight 431 was diverted to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).
It is alleged that on October 25, 2025, Usiripalli stabbed a 17-year-old male passenger in the shoulder area and then stabbed a second 17-year-old male passenger in the back of the head.
According to official documents following meal service, the first teenager was sleeping lightly in a middle seat when he allegedly awoke to see Usiripalli standing over him. The suspect then used his right hand to strike the teenager in the left clavicle area with a metal fork.
Usiripalli then allegedly lunged towards the second teenager, seated to the right of the first victim, and struck him in the back of his head with the fork. The second teenager suffered a laceration to the rear of his head.
Court documents said: “When flight crew members attempted to subdue Usiripalli, 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. Usiripalli also allegedly attempted to slap a flight crew member.”
Usiripalli was previously admitted to the US on a student visa but presently does not have lawful status in the country.
In a statement Lufthansa said: “The diversion was necessitated by the behavior of an unruly passenger, who was taken into custody by local authorities upon arrival. Consequently, the onward flight to Frankfurt did not continue as scheduled. The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew are always Lufthansa’s highest priority.”
The suspect was charged 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 US.
Usiripalli could face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
