Waleed al-Shehri | |
|---|---|
وليد الشهري | |
 Al-Shehri in May 2001 | |
| Born | Waleed Mohammed al-Shehri December 20, 1978 Aseer, Saudi Arabia |
| Died | 11 September 2001 (aged 22) North Tower, New York City, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Suicide by Plane crash (September 11 attacks) |
| Known for | Hijacking American Airlines Flight 11 during the September 11 attacks |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Relatives | Wail al-Shehri (brother) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Al-Qaeda |
| Engagements | |
Waleed Mohammed al-Shehri (Arabic: وليد الشهري, romanized: Walīd ash-Shehrī'; December 20 1978 – September 11 2001) was a Saudi terrorist hijacker. He was involved in the September 11 attacks against the United States in 2001. He was one of the five hijackers who took control of American Airlines Flight 11, which was then flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
Born in Saudi Arabia, al-Shehri had been a student until he accompanied his mentally ill brother to Medina. Later, he and his brother Wail went to Chechnya, where they fought in support of a jihadist insurgency against Russia. However, they were soon redirected to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where they were recruited to carry out the September 11 attacks. After their selection, the brothers were moved to a safehouse in Pakistan before flying out to the United Arab Emirates and starting the process to enter the United States.
In April 2001, al-Shehri arrived in the United States on a tourist visa. On the day of the attacks, al-Shehri, his brother, and the other hijackers took control of American Airlines Flight 11, following which Mohamed Atta flew the plane into the North Tower in a suicidal attack.