Pilot who threatened to fly into Walmart has landed

The pilot who threatened to fly into a Walmart in Tupelo, Mississippi, has landed and has now been taken into police custody.

Earlier today (Saturday 3 September), Tupelo Police said the force began to receive reports about the plane flying over the town at around 5am local time, after which the pilot rang 911 and made threats to crash the plane into a local Walmart.

According to the Daily Journal, the plane has now landed in a field and that the pilot - named as Cory Patterson - is alive.

The outlet added that the Benton County Sheriff's Department has now also taken Patterson into custody.

The Daily Journal also reports that the suspect is believed to have posted on Facebook this morning, saying: "Sorry everyone. Never actually wanted to hurt anyone. I love my parents and sister this isn't your fault. Goodbye."

In response to the threats, police evacuated Walmart and a branch of Dodges, also telling residents to stay away from the area - warning that the plane and its pilot could create a danger zone ‘much larger than Tupelo’ due to the mobility of the aircraft. 

In a statement, the force said: “On 09-03-2022 at approximately 05:00 am TPD was notified that a pilot of an airplane (possibly King Air type) was flying over Tupelo.  

“The pilot has made contact with E911 and is threatening to intentionally crash into Walmart on West Main.

“TPD has worked with Walmart West and Dodges on West Main to evacuate the stores and disperse people as much as practical. 

“TPD also has been able to begin talking with the pilot directly.

“At this time the situation is ongoing with TPD and all Emergency Services in our area on alert.

“Citizens are asked to avoid that area until an all clear is given. With the mobility of an airplane of that type the danger zone is much larger than even Tupelo.”

Footage shared on social media shows the small plane circling fairly low in the sky. 

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said officers were 'closely tracking' the situation and told residents to ‘be on alert’.

In a post on Twitter, he wrote: “State law enforcement and emergency managers are closely tracking this dangerous situation. All citizens should be on alert and aware of updates from the Tupelo Police Department.”