Pilot who threatened to intentionally crash a plane into Walmart in police custody, authorities say

• A Walmart in Tupelo, Mississippi was evacuated after a pilot threatened to crash into it.
• Police said they also evacuated a nearby Dodges store.

A pilot who intentionally threatened to crash a plane into a Mississippi Walmart is reportedly in police custody.

Multiple police, local, and airport officials identified the pilot as Cory Patterson,29, of Shannon, Mississippi, per The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

Patterson was charged with grand larceny and terroristic threats, The Washington Post reported.

In a statement to Insider, the Federal Aviation Administration said Patterson was the only one on board the Beechcraft King Air 90. The FAA said the plane was landed in a field several miles northwest of Ripley Airport in Ripley, Mississippi, more than 40 miles away from Tupelo.

At around 5:00 a.m. on Saturday morning police in Tulepo received a call about the plane, according to a statement. The Tulepo Police Department and emergency services in the area were "on alert."

On Saturday morning, police said they had been directly in contact with the pilot and were working with Walmart to evacuate civilians "and disperse people as much as practical."

"Citizens are asked to avoid that area until an all clear is given. With the mobility of an airplane of that type the danger zone is much larger than even Tupelo," police said.

The Daily Journal reported that the pilot was not an employee at Tupelo Regional Airport but worked for an operator that rents space at the airport.

The Post, citing Tupelo Police Chief John Quaka, reported that Patterson did not have a pilot's license but had some flight training. He had access to aircraft because he's been employed with the Tupelo Aviation fueling aircraft for a decade, Quaka said at a press conference, The Post said.

Quaka noted that Patterson posted a "goodbye message" on his Facebook at around 9:30 a.m.

"Sorry everyone. Never wanted to actually hurt anyone. I love my parents and sister this isn't your fault. Goodbye," the message read.

Tupelo Mayor Todd Jordan said Patterson didn't intend to hurt himself or others and he hopes he "will get the help he needs," the Post reported.

In an earlier tweet before 9 a.m., Gov. Tate Reeves said: "All citizens should be on alert and aware of updates from the Tupelo Police Department."

Reeves' post included a Flightware image that shows the plane circling around the town several times earlier on Saturday morning.

Patterson was taken into custody by the Benton County Sheriff's Department, The New York Post reported.

"Thankful the situation has been resolved and that no one was injured. Thank you most of all to local, state, and federal law enforcement who managed this situation with extreme professionalism," Gov. Reeves tweeted late Saturday morning.