KINGSTON, Jamaica – JUST over a week after holding passengers and the flight crew of an aircraft hostage on the runway of the Sangster International Airport, Stephen Fray will appear in court to face multiple charges arising out of that incident.
Reports from the Jamaica Gleaner state the 21-year-old has been charged with illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of ammunition, shooting with intent, robbery with aggravation, assault at common law, and breaches of the Civil Aviation Authority and Airports Authority Acts.
Following his arrest on April 20, Fray underwent a battery of identification parades and interrogation by police investigators.
On the previous night (Apr. 19), he forced his way through airport security and boarded CanJet flight 918 which was bound for Halifax, Canada, with a scheduled stop in Santa Clara, Cuba.
Fray initially released all 159 passengers and two of the eight crew members. The standoff lasted until 6:40 the next morning when members of the Jamaica Defence Force Counter Terrorism Operations Group disarmed Fray and released the remaining hostages.
No one was reported to have suffered injuries during the ordeal. According to government reports, it is believed that Fray suffers from some type of “mental challenges”. His motivation for the hijacking is still unknown.
Immediately following the incident, the Jamaican government had promised to reimburse hostages who were robbed during the hijacking. However, it is unclear if this promise was kept.
Jamaica News