Avalon Airport Security Breach: Teen with Shotgun Subdued by Hero Passengers Before Boarding Jetstar Flight"

Rahul Somvanshi

A 17-year-old male breached Avalon Airport security by entering through a hole in the perimeter fence, approaching a Jetstar flight while carrying a loaded shotgun.

Photo Source: Behroz Khosravi (CC BY 4.0)

Disguised in a high-visibility vest and tool belt to mimic a maintenance worker, the teenager managed to bypass standard security protocols and walk directly to the aircraft.

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How did a teenager with a loaded firearm make it all the way to the boarding stairs of a commercial flight without being detected by airport security?

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When questioned by airline staff, the teenager became agitated, revealing the shotgun he had concealed among his maintenance worker disguise.

Photo Source: Los Angeles Fire Department (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Barry Clark, a shearer from Echuca seated in 1C, spotted the danger and immediately tackled the armed teen, throwing the shotgun down the aircraft stairs.

Photo Source: Philadelphia International Airport (CC BY-ND 2.0)

"You don't think, you act," Clark told ABC Radio Melbourne after the incident, explaining his split-second decision to protect fellow passengers from potential harm.

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The pilot joined the confrontation, helping to restrain the armed teenager until police arrived at the scene at 2:50 PM.

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Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Reid confirmed the 17-year-old entered through a security breach at approximately 2:20 PM, carrying a loaded shotgun and "other apparatus."

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The security breach immediately triggered a lockdown of Avalon Airport—Victoria's second-busiest airport—with all operations suspended until further notice.

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Counter Terrorism Command was consulted during the investigation, though authorities have emphasized it's too early to establish if terrorism was a motive.

Photo Source: Los Angeles Fire Department (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

The teenager, not previously known to police, now faces potential federal and state offenses for the attempted breach of aircraft security with a firearm.

Photo Source: Patrick Gage Kelley (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Police have located the vehicle the teenager arrived in but haven't determined whether the hole in the security fence was pre-existing or created by the suspect

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This incident raises critical questions about security vulnerabilities at regional airports that primarily handle domestic flights.

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Passenger Woodrow recounted the dramatic moment: "In a split second, the gentleman Barry Clark in 1C saw him and jumped him, tackled him and got him in a choke lock, disarmed him.

Photo Source: Tomás Del Coro (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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