A 28-year-old Indian graduate student was charged with assaulting two teenage boys on an international flight from Chicago to Frankfurt. The incident occurred just over two hours into the flight, when Praneeth Usiripalli allegedly stabbed the first boy in the shoulder area and the second boy in the back of his head with a metal fork.
According to court documents, the first boy had been sleeping lightly when he woke up to see Usiripalli standing over him. The victim reflexively raised his left shoulder before Usiripalli allegedly stabbed him near his collarbone. Despite wearing a heavy sweatshirt that protected him from visible injuries, the boy suffered emotional trauma.
Usiripalli then lunged towards the second boy and allegedly struck him in the head with the fork. The second boy suffered a laceration to his head and told law enforcement that Usiripalli was "yelling unintelligibly." Witnesses reported that Usiripalli also raised his hand, formed a gun with his fingers, put it in his mouth, and pulled an imaginary trigger.
After the flight crew became aware of the disturbance, they diverted the plane to Logan International Airport. The two boys had to stay overnight in Boston before being allowed to depart the next day. Usiripalli was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection upon arrival.
According to court records, Usiripalli is enrolled in a master's program studying biblical studies and had previously been admitted to the United States on a student visa. However, he does not currently have lawful status in the country. He is being held at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility and his arraignment is scheduled for December 3.
In a bizarre incident, Usiripalli allegedly dropped to his knees, bent over, and tried to kiss a flight attendant's shoes during his arrest. He also mumbled phrases including "Koran," "Barack and Michelle Obama," and "I am the reason for COVID." The flight attendant reported that Usiripalli slapped a female passenger and attempted to slap her as well.
The incident has raised concerns about the mental health of international students in the United States, with some experts warning that the stress of living abroad can take a toll on individuals.
According to court documents, the first boy had been sleeping lightly when he woke up to see Usiripalli standing over him. The victim reflexively raised his left shoulder before Usiripalli allegedly stabbed him near his collarbone. Despite wearing a heavy sweatshirt that protected him from visible injuries, the boy suffered emotional trauma.
Usiripalli then lunged towards the second boy and allegedly struck him in the head with the fork. The second boy suffered a laceration to his head and told law enforcement that Usiripalli was "yelling unintelligibly." Witnesses reported that Usiripalli also raised his hand, formed a gun with his fingers, put it in his mouth, and pulled an imaginary trigger.
After the flight crew became aware of the disturbance, they diverted the plane to Logan International Airport. The two boys had to stay overnight in Boston before being allowed to depart the next day. Usiripalli was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection upon arrival.
According to court records, Usiripalli is enrolled in a master's program studying biblical studies and had previously been admitted to the United States on a student visa. However, he does not currently have lawful status in the country. He is being held at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility and his arraignment is scheduled for December 3.
In a bizarre incident, Usiripalli allegedly dropped to his knees, bent over, and tried to kiss a flight attendant's shoes during his arrest. He also mumbled phrases including "Koran," "Barack and Michelle Obama," and "I am the reason for COVID." The flight attendant reported that Usiripalli slapped a female passenger and attempted to slap her as well.
The incident has raised concerns about the mental health of international students in the United States, with some experts warning that the stress of living abroad can take a toll on individuals.
by this story. I mean, who attacks two teenagers on an airplane? 
It's just crazy! 
. He stabs them with a fork and yells weird stuff 
. And then, during the arrest, he tries to kiss the flight attendant's shoes 
? What is going on?! 
. As you said, living abroad can be super stressful for some people, but attacking others isn't the answer 
. We should be supporting our international students and helping them cope with their emotions 
.
.
dropped to his knees and tried to kiss the flight attendant's shoes lol what was he even thinking? 
anyway, I'm not surprised that stress from living abroad can mess with ppl's mental health, I've seen it happen before... maybe this guy just needs some help or something 
This whole thing is super wild... I mean, who does something like that on an international flight? 
The fact that he's a student studying biblical studies and has a history of being in the US without proper papers is already red flag, but to take it to this level... 
I feel bad for the two teenage boys who got attacked - can you even imagine waking up on a plane and having someone stab you? 
It's like, what are you thinking?! 
As an international student, I think we need to take a step back and look at how stress and anxiety can affect people in these situations. Maybe there are better ways to deal with problems than resorting to violence? 
.
this is so messed up - I mean, stabbing 2 teenagers on a flight is just insane. And then the crazy part is when he's being taken away and he tries to kiss the flight attendant's shoes... what was he thinking? 
anyway, hope those 2 boys are okay 
What's next, is someone gonna start carrying around a Bible and yelling "Thou shalt not fly" when they see an in-flight movie? 
Just saw this crazy news and I'm still trying to process it 
Like, what's going through your mind when you're acting like a lunatic in front of everyone? 
And now there are concerns about mental health among international students in the US? That's not surprising, but still really sad 
. It's just really sad when someone loses their grip like this...
. The fact that Praneeth Usiripalli, a 28-year-old Indian graduate student, allegedly assaulted two teenage boys on an international flight is just disturbing. The whole thing sounds like it was a chaotic and scary situation for everyone involved.
. This kind of behavior is just not okay.
hope they're doing okay 
Maybe there should be more resources available to support international students in dealing with the pressures of living abroad. But anyway, this whole thing is just crazy 
It's like, you're in college studying biblical studies, and then you lose your mind and start acting all crazy on an international flight 
I don't know what to make of this situation.
I mean, come on, a metal fork? That's not even a real weapon! And the guy's trying to pretend it's a gun? 
, right?