Man charged with allegedly stabbing 2 teens with fork on flight from Chicago to Germany, DOJ says
CHICAGO (WLS) — The Department of Justice said that a man has been accused for stabbing two teenage boys with a metal fork on a trip from Chicago to Germany on Saturday.
The DOJ said that the stabbing that was said to have happened on the Lufthansa flight happened after dinner.
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According to the DOJ, a 17-year-old child was sleeping lightly on a middle seat when he woke up to see 28-year-old Indian national Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli standing over him.
The DOJ says Usiripalli stabbed the teenager in the shoulder before lunging at another 17-year-old boy who was sitting in the middle seat of a center row. Usiripalli is said to have then stabbed that adolescent in the back of the skull.
The DOJ says that when crew members sought to restrain Usiripalli, he reportedly made a gun with his fingers, put it in his mouth, and pulled an imaginary trigger.
The defendant then allegedly turned to a woman passenger and hit her with his hand. Usiripalli also allegedly tried to hit a member of the flying crew.
The DOJ said that the flight was rerouted to Boston Logan International Airport, where investigators arrested Usiripalli, who had come to the U.S. on a student visa before. The DOJ noted that the suspect is not currently legally in the U.S.
According to the DOJ, Usiripalli is charged with one count of assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to do bodily damage while on a plane in the United States’ special aviation jurisdiction.
If Usiripalli is found guilty, he may spend up to 10 years in prison. Later, he will go to federal court in Boston.
Lufthansa said in a statement, “Lufthansa certifies that flight LH431 (Boeing 747-8, 363 passengers) from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Frankfurt am Main was diverted to Boston on Saturday, October 25, 2025, where it landed safely.
The change of course was necessary because of the actions of a rowdy passenger, who was arrested by local police when they arrived. So, the flight to Frankfurt did not go as planned.
Lufthansa did everything it could to make sure that all of its passengers had a place to stay and were rebooked on the next available aircraft during this busy time for hotels in the Boston area. We are very sorry for the trouble this has created and thank our passengers for their patience and understanding.
Lufthansa’s top priority is always the safety and health of its passengers and crew.
We politely ask that any questions about the event be sent to the appropriate local law enforcement agencies.
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