Flight diverted after passenger wearing “no less than 15 face masks” rants that LGBTQ+ people gave him cancer

A domestic flight in the United States was forced to make an emergency landing after a passenger wearing an unusual number of face masks began shouting inflammatory and erratic claims, including that LGBTQ+ individuals were causing him to develop cancer.

The Sun Country Airlines flight, which departed Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport on Friday morning en route to Newark, New Jersey, was diverted to Chicago O’Hare International Airport after the man’s behaviour escalated mid-flight. Witnesses reported that the passenger, who was wearing “no less than 15 face masks”, began shouting that “the plane is going down” and made bizarre statements about being “radiated”, “gang chased”, and “cooked” by members of the LGBTQ+ community. 

Seth Evans, a fellow passenger seated across the aisle, described the man’s behaviour as erratic from the moment the aircraft took off. Between playing rounds of Candy Crush on his phone, the man reportedly erupted into loud rants, claiming that LGBTQ+ people were responsible for his alleged cancer diagnosis. At one point, he also shouted “Trump is here”, further adding to the confusion and alarm among passengers. 

The airline confirmed that the flight was diverted “as a precaution in response to a disruptive passenger”. Upon landing in Chicago, the man was handcuffed and removed from the aircraft by local police. Passengers were instructed to remain seated while US Marshals and law enforcement officers conducted interviews regarding the incident.

Sun Country Airlines issued a statement thanking passengers for their patience and confirmed that the flight continued on to Newark later that morning. The FBI has reportedly taken up the case for further investigation.