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FBI investigating 'bomb threat' on Allegiant flight after emergency landing at PIE

By
Published  July 6, 2025 4:04pm EDT
Clearwater
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • An Allegiant flight was forced to land at PIE after a passenger made a verbal bomb threat on Sunday afternoon.
    • Twenty-seven-year-old Taj Taylor was arrested and his belongings searched.  No bomb was found.
    • The FBI has taken the lead in the investigation with the assistance of detectives with the Threat Management Division of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
    • Airport operations have since returned to normal and no injuries were reported.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - An Allegiant flight from St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport to Roanoke, Virginia on Sunday, was forced to turn around after a passenger told another passenger that his laptop was a bomb, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

The backstory:

At about 2:03 p.m., deputies say they were alerted to a verbal bomb threat made by a passenger on Allegiant flight 1023. The plane returned to St. Pete-Clearwater Airport at approximately 2:08 p.m.  

Detectives say they learned that a passenger, 27-year-old Taj Taylor, told another passenger that his laptop was a bomb. The passenger immediately notified the flight attendants. Detectives say several other witnesses on the plane also heard Taylor say that he had a bomb.

Pinellas County Sheriff's Office K9s searched Taylor's belongings, and no bomb was found.

Airport operations have since returned to normal and no injuries were reported.

READ: Fighter jet forced to 'headbutt' civilian aircraft near Trump's weekend retreat

What's next:

PCSO says the FBI is taking the lead in the investigation.

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The Source: Information for this story was provided by Allegiant Media Relations and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

ClearwaterCrime and Public Safety