Comment A pilot flying a small private plane was circling erratically in the skies over Tupelo, Miss., Saturday morning and threatening to crash into a Walmart, authorities said. The Tupelo Police Department said on Facebook that it received reports around 5 a.m. that the plane was flying over the city. The pilot had called an emergency line and was “threatening to intentionally crash into the Wal Mart on West Main,” according to the department. Police said they had spoken directly with the pilot. Officers were working to evacuate the Walmart and a nearby gas station and “disperse people as much as possible,” according to police. “Citizens are asked to avoid this area until the all-clear has been given,” the Facebook post said. “With the mobility of an airplane of this type the danger zone is much larger than even Tupelo.” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) said law enforcement and emergency managers are also closely monitoring the situation. “All citizens should be vigilant and aware of updates from the Tupelo Police Department,” Reeves said in a statement. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said in an email that officials were aware of the situation and were coordinating with law enforcement. Police said the plane may be a King Air, a twin-propeller plane that typically has room for seven to 12 passengers and is 35 to 40 feet long. Videos from social media users in the area showed a low-flying plane circling a neighborhood. “Not sure what’s going on,” one user wrote, “but this plane is flying in circles for 45 minutes around Tupelo.” This is a developing story that will be updated.
