BOSTON — A man is accused of stabbing two minors with a metal fork while on board a Lufthansa flight from Chicago to Germany, prosecutors said Monday.
According to a news release from the U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, 28, of India, was arrested on Oct. 25 after the aircraft made an emergency stop in Boston.
He was charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while traveling on an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.
Usiripalli will appear in a federal court in Boston “at a later date,” prosecutors said.
According to U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, Usiripalli allegedly stabbed two 17-year-olds while Lufthansa Flight 431 from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport to Frankfurt was in the air.
Man allegedly stabbed 2 teens with fork on international flight forced to land in Boston https://t.co/gTHBfziRpz
— Boston 25 News (@boston25) October 28, 2025
Prosecutors said Usiripalli stood over one of the sleeping teens, and when the victim awoke, stabbed him in the left shoulder with a metal fork.
The suspect then allegedly lunged at the second teen, stabbing him in the back of the head with the fork.
According to prosecutors, crew members attempted to subdue Usiripalli. The man allegedly raised his hand, made a gun gesture, put his hand in his mouth and pulled an imaginary trigger. He then turned toward a female passenger to his left and slapped her with his hand, prosecutors said. Usiripalli also allegedly attempted to slap a flight crew member.
Usiripalli was previously admitted to the United States on a student visa but does not have lawful status in the United States, the news release stated. Most recently, he was enrolled in a master’s program in biblical studies.
In a statement, Lufthansa confirmed that its aircraft, which held 363 passengers, was diverted to Boston’s Logan International Airport.
“The diversion was necessitated by the behavior of an unruly passenger, who was taken into custody by local authorities upon arrival. Consequently, the onward flight to Frankfurt did not continue as scheduled,“ the air carrier wrote. ”During this period of high hotel occupancy in the Boston area, Lufthansa made every effort to ensure that all passengers were provided with hotel accommodations and were rebooked on the next available flights. We sincerely regret the inconvenience this situation has caused and appreciate our passengers’ patience and understanding.
“The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew are always Lufthansa’s highest priority.”
If convicted, Usiripalli faces up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
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