Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, Indian National Who Overstayed U.S. Visa, Stabs Two Teen Boys with Metal Fork on Lufthansa Flight [PHOTOS]

Boston, Massachusetts (October 28, 2025) — Federal authorities have charged Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, a 28-year-old Indian national who overstayed his U.S. student visa, after he allegedly launched a frenzied and unprovoked mid-air attack on two teenage boys aboard a Lufthansa flight from Chicago to Frankfurt on Saturday, October 25.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the aircraft was diverted to Boston Logan International Airport after Usiripalli allegedly stabbed the two 17-year-old passengers with a metal fork during the flight’s meal service.

Attack on Lufthansa Flight 431

Court filings allege that one of the teenage victims was asleep in the middle seat when he awoke to find Usiripalli standing over him holding a fork. The suspect then lunged forward, stabbing the boy in the collarbone before turning on another 17-year-old seated nearby, striking him in the back of the head.

Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, Indian National Who Overstayed U.S. Visa, Stabs Two Teen Boys with Metal Fork on Lufthansa Flight

As flight attendants and passengers attempted to intervene, Usiripalli reportedly formed a gun shape with his fingers, placed them in his mouth, and mimed pulling the trigger. He allegedly then slapped a female passenger and attempted to strike a crew member before being restrained.

Due to the violent disturbance, the pilot declared an emergency, diverting the flight to Boston, where law enforcement officers arrested Usiripalli on arrival.

Immigration and Background Details

Federal prosecutors confirmed that Usiripalli had entered the United States legally on a student visa and had been enrolled in a master’s program in biblical studies at the Moody Bible Institute, a private evangelical Christian college in Chicago, Illinois. However, at the time of the incident, he no longer had lawful immigration status.

Public records list his residence in Edgewater Glen, a neighborhood north of downtown Chicago. Authorities said he was living there up until his arrest.

Charges and Possible Sentence

Usiripalli has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while traveling on an aircraft, a federal offense that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

He remains in federal custody pending trial, with prosecutors describing the attack as “a frenzied mid-air incident that endangered passengers and crew alike.”