Mohand al-Shehri
Mohand Muhammed Fayiz al-Shehri | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 7, 1979 Asir Province, Saudi Arabia |
| Died | September 11, 2001 (aged 22) |
| Occupation(s) | al-Qaeda operative, hijacker |
| Known for | Hijacker aboard United Airlines Flight 175 during the September 11 attacks |
Mohand Muhammed Fayiz al-Shehri (, born May 7, 1979 – died September 11, 2001) was a Saudi national affiliated with al-Qaeda and one of the five hijackers aboard United Airlines Flight 175. This flight was deliberately flown into the South Tower during the events of the September 11 attacks.
Following his withdrawal from college in Saudi Arabia in early 2000, al-Shehri reportedly joined combat efforts in Chechnya amid the Second Chechen War. It is believed he received training at al-Qaeda camps located in Afghanistan prior to his selection for the coordinated September 11 operation, which involved 19 hijackers targeting U.S. commercial aircraft. He secured a U.S. visa in October 2000 and entered the country by May 2001.
On September 11, al-Shehri, as part of a team under the leadership of Marwan al-Shehhi, hijacked Flight 175 departing from Boston en route to Los Angeles. The aircraft was then crashed into the South Tower, triggering its collapse and causing numerous fatalities. Despite sharing a surname, he had no familial connection to fellow hijackers Wail al-Shehri or Waleed al-Shehri, who participated in the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 11.
History
Al-Shehri was born in 1979 in Saudi Arabia’s Asir province and was one of five hijackers originating from this region. Others included Ahmed al-Nami, Abdulaziz al-Omari, and the brothers Waleed and Wail al-Shehri—all members of the Bani Shehr tribe but unrelated to Mohand Muhammed Fayiz al-Shehri.
According to Arab News, he engaged in combat operations in Chechnya during early 2000, where he may have encountered Hamza al-Ghamdi. On October 23, 2000, he applied for a U.S. B-1/B-2 visa at the consulate in Jeddah. Although there was an error listing a school address on his application, it did not raise suspicion and he was granted approval without an interview.
In October 2000, al-Ghamdi and al-Shehri traveled together from Iran to Kuwait. Three months later, they established a post office box in Delray Beach, Florida; records show that an individual using al-Shehri’s name accessed public library computers in that area. According to FBI investigations and the 9/11 Commission report, he entered the United States on May 28, 2001, arriving via London or Dubai alongside al-Ghamdi and Abdulaziz al-Omari.
Al-Shehri was part of a group of nine hijackers who opened accounts at SunTrust Bank with cash deposits around June 2001. He also obtained a Florida state identification card on July 2. During this period, he occasionally trained on flight simulators at FlightSafety Aviation School in Vero Beach with Abdulaziz al-Omari and Saeed al-Ghamdi.
September 11 attacks
In late August, Fayez Banihammad purchased first-class one-way tickets for United Airlines Flight 175 online, charging $4,464.50 to a Visa card issued to Mustafa al-Hawsawi. The tickets were sent to a Mail Boxes Etc. address located in Delray Beach. Another postal box in Delray Beach was used by Hamza al-Ghamdi and Ahmed al-Ghamdi, who acquired their tickets for the same flight one day later; notably, both groups listed the same telephone number.
On September 7, Banihammad and Hamza al-Ghamdi flew from Fort Lauderdale to Newark, New Jersey on tickets costing $139.75 each; these were purchased through Mile High Travel based in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
The night before the attacks, on September 10, Banihammad shared accommodations at Boston’s Milner Hotel with Marwan al-Shehhi—the pilot of Flight 175—and Satam al-Suqami, who was involved in hijacking Flight 11.
On September 11, al-Shehri boarded Flight 175 and took a seat adjacent to Banihammad in first class. Roughly half an hour into the flight, the hijackers took control: Banihammad and al-Shehri entered the cockpit and fatally attacked the pilots while the brothers Hamza and Ahmed al-Ghamdi restrained passengers and crew toward the rear of the aircraft. At approximately 9:03 a.m., under Marwan al-Shehhi’s command, the plane was deliberately crashed into floors 77 through 85 of the South Tower at the World Trade Center. This caused extensive casualties both onboard and within the building itself. The tower ultimately collapsed at 9:59 a.m., resulting in additional deaths at ground level and surrounding areas.