Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli boarded a Lufthansa flight from Chicago to Germany on October 25, 2025. At some point during the flight, Usiripalli stood up and began exhibiting bizarre behavior. He allegedly attacked two teens with a fork, slapped another passenger, and made concerning hand gestures at the flight crew. The pilot promptly diverted the plane to Boston, where police immediately arrested the 28-year-old suspect.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts, following meal service on Lufthansa flight 431 headed to Frankfurt, Usiripalli allegedly stood over a 17-year-old sleeping male. When the teen awoke, he stabbed him in the clavicle with the fork. Usiripalli then moved to a second 17-year-old and stabbed him in the back of the head. But that wasn’t the end.
After the stabbing, Usiripalli reportedly turned to the flight crew attempting to subdue him and used his fingers to create the shape of a gun. He pointed it toward his mouth and pulled an imaginary finger, according to the news release. He made his final move by reportedly slapping a female passenger in the face and trying to slap a member of the flight crew.
A short time later, the pilot landed at Boston Logan International Airport, where police took Usiripalli into custody. He faces charges of assault with intent to harm on an aircraft in the United States, the news release noted. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Usiripalli reportedly came to the United States on a student visa. He had been working on a master’s program in biblical studies but is currently in the country illegally.
We can’t imagine how scary that situation must have been for every person on that plane. Thankfully, the pilot and his crew worked together and were able to get everyone safely to the ground.
