BOSTON (NewsNation) — A man accused of attacking two teenagers with a metal fork on an international flight is facing federal charges, according to U.S. prosecutors.
Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, 28, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to cause bodily harm on an aircraft. He was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport after the plane made an emergency landing.
Usiripalli was on board a Lufthansa flight en route from Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany, when he stabbed two 17-year-old boys with the metal fork, according to prosecutors.
NBC News, citing charging documents, reports Usiripalli does not have lawful status in the U.S.
Charging documents revealed that the first teenager was sleeping lightly in a middle seat when he awoke to see Usiripalli standing over him. Usiripalli then reportedly stabbed the boy in the shoulder with the fork.
Usiripalli turned to the other teenager, who was sitting next to the victim in another middle seat, and stabbed him in the back of the head with the fork, according to the charging documents.
The second victim suffered a laceration to the back of his head as a result of the attack.
The charging documents explained that as flight attendants attempted to subdue Usiripalli, he raised his hand, formed a gun with his fingers, put it in his mouth and pulled an imaginary trigger.
Usiripalli slapped a female passenger with his hand and attempted to slap a flight attendant immediately after making the violent gesture, per the charging documents.
Usiripalli will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date, officials said. He faces up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
NewsNation local affiliate WPRI contributed to this report.