New Jersey Gun Range Owner Reveals What Happened as He Helped Restrain Unruly Passenger on American Airlines Flight

Gun for Hire owner Richard O’Lenick helped secure and restrain Arthur Layne Lundeen after he went on a racist meltdown on an American Airlines flight to Newark.Richard O’Lenick

Richard O’Lenick was already an uneasy flyer when a disturbance aboard American Airlines Flight 618 turned his journey home into anything but routine.

The 53-year-old New Jersey gun range owner has now described how he and his employee, retired police officer Juan Mejia, stepped in after fellow passenger Arthur Layne Lundeen allegedly became aggressive during the Dallas-to-Newark flight on September 3. The confrontation eventually ended with Lundeen restrained in his seat with zip ties and duct tape as the aircraft diverted to Baltimore.

O’Lenick also recalled a remarkable exchange with Lundeen during the incident. After the passenger told him they were all going to die because the plane was going to crash, O’Lenick responded: “You’re going to meet a couple of new friends when we land.”

A routine journey home suddenly turns chaotic

O’Lenick said he acted quick to help protect other passengers from Lundeen after he turned violent.Gunforhire.com

O’Lenick owns Gun for Hire, a shooting range in Woodland Park, New Jersey. He and Mejia were returning from a gun industry event in Reno, Nevada, and were on the Dallas-to-Newark leg of their journey when trouble erupted inside the cabin.

According to accounts from those aboard the flight, Lundeen, 67, allegedly began directing racist and anti-gay slurs at a flight attendant and other passengers. The situation then escalated into a physical confrontation.

O’Lenick and Mejia were sitting nearby. Once they believed the situation had become a safety concern, both men moved to intervene.

O’Lenick said there was little hesitation because of the trust he and Mejia already shared. He explained that each knew the other would step in and that neither was going to abandon the other once the confrontation began.

Mejia’s background was particularly relevant. In addition to working with O’Lenick, he is a retired New Jersey police officer. Daily Voice identified him as a former Weehawken officer.

Flight attendants bring zip ties and duct tape

Juan Mejia, a sales manager at Gun For Hire LLC and a retired New Jersey police officer, who helped subdue and duct-tape a violent, unruly passenger on an American Airlines flight.Gunforhire.com

The two men held Lundeen while members of the cabin crew provided materials to restrain him.

According to O’Lenick’s account, Lundeen continued struggling even after the intervention began. At one point, he allegedly bit Mejia on the hand. O’Lenick said the continued resistance eventually led them to secure Lundeen more extensively to his seat.

The incident lasted long enough for O’Lenick to become increasingly concerned about what might happen next.

“It was a pretty volatile situation for a while,” he said, explaining that passenger safety was a major concern because they did not know how far the confrontation might escalate.

Images and video from the flight subsequently circulated widely, showing Lundeen restrained in his seat with silver duct tape around his body and head.

O’Lenick, however, portrayed the intervention less as an individual act of heroism than as a coordinated response between himself, Mejia and the flight crew.

O’Lenick recalls tense exchange with Lundeen

Arthur Layne Lundeen, the American Airlines passenger who was duct-taped and zip-tied after hurling racist and homophobic slurs during a mid-air meltdown.LinkedIn

Even after Lundeen had been restrained, the tension apparently did not immediately disappear.

O’Lenick told Daily Voice that Lundeen looked at him and declared that the aircraft was going to crash and everyone aboard would die.

For O’Lenick — who acknowledged that he already dislikes flying — the comment could hardly have been more unsettling.

His answer was short.

“You’re going to meet a couple of new friends when we land,” O’Lenick recalled telling him.

The remark would prove prescient: authorities were waiting after the aircraft diverted.

Flight 618 diverted to Baltimore

American Airlines Flight 618 had been traveling from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport when the crew diverted to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

The aircraft landed safely at approximately 10:15 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. American Airlines said law enforcement met the aircraft and removed the disruptive passenger before the flight continued toward its destination.

Maryland Transportation Authority Police took Lundeen into custody.

He was charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct, according to court records. Those remain allegations, and the charges do not constitute a finding of guilt.

The incident has also attracted federal attention. The FBI has been gathering information and considering whether the circumstances warrant federal charges. As of the latest reports, no federal criminal charges had been announced.

American Airlines said the safety of passengers and employees remained its highest priority and that it does not tolerate violence. The airline also thanked its crew for their professionalism and passengers for their understanding.

Lundeen identified as Arizona real estate professional

In the days following the incident, Lundeen was identified as a longtime real estate professional from Tucson, Arizona.

His professional background quickly became another major part of the story. Lundeen’s LinkedIn profile had listed him in a vice president role with Long Realty, an Arizona real estate company.

After learning of the incident, Long Realty ended its affiliation with him.

The company said the alleged conduct was inconsistent with its expectations regarding professionalism, integrity, compassion and respect. Lundeen was subsequently removed from the company’s website.

O’Lenick credits teamwork rather than instinct

For O’Lenick, one of the defining elements of the episode was the relationship between him and Mejia.

He said the two men did not need to discuss whether they would intervene once the confrontation became physical. Their familiarity with each other allowed them to respond together while flight attendants worked to bring the situation under control.

“I’ve got his back and he’s got mine,” O’Lenick said, adding that their relationship helped them understand what the other was doing during an unpredictable situation.

What began as an ordinary trip home from a business event ultimately ended with an unscheduled landing, an arrest and images of a passenger restrained to his seat spreading across the internet.

For O’Lenick, who had already admitted he was not particularly fond of flying, it was a journey unlikely to be forgotten — especially after the ominous warning he received from the man he was helping restrain, and the pointed response he gave him before authorities took over in Baltimore.