Christmas Night Family Dispute Leaves Three Shot and One Stabbed at Phoenix Airport, Officials Say
A family dispute at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Christmas night led to three people being shot and one stabbed. Police detained a juvenile and a man, while four victims were hospitalized. The incident caused a temporary security checkpoint closure but operations quickly returned to normal.
Three people were shot and another was stabbed at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona during a family dispute in one of the terminals on Christmas night, according to police.
The incident occurred at a restaurant in Terminal 4, located outside the security perimeter. Responding officers arrived around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday and found three individuals suffering from gunshot wounds, Phoenix Police Sgt. Mayra Reeson said in a statement early Thursday.
Authorities later detained a juvenile female and a man in the parking garage. The man was found with at least one stab wound, police confirmed.
This appears to have been a family dispute that escalated, Reeson said, adding that all five individuals involved are believed to know each other.
The victims were transported to a hospital. One woman is in critical condition, while two men with gunshot wounds and the stabbing victim are in stable condition, police reported.
As of Thursday morning, police had not yet interviewed those detained, and no charges had been filed. Reeson confirmed that weapons had been recovered.
We do not believe there are any suspects still at large, she said.
It remains unclear whether the group intended to travel or was at the airport for another reason.
This is frightening, Reeson said. It was Christmas evening, and everyone is trying to get home.
The gunfire led to the temporary closure of the security checkpoint at Terminal 4, an airport spokesperson told CNN in an email.
The incident has been resolved, and operations are returning to normal, the spokesperson added.
Compounding the situation, a man, misinformed about a potential active shooter, arrived at the airport with a gun while police were investigating the earlier dispute. He was detained after an altercation with officers, according to Reeson.
Police emphasized that there are no active threats at the airport, and flights have not been affected as detectives continue their investigation into the shooting.
Everything was resumed fairly quickly, Reeson noted, though all restaurants in the food court were closed during the incident.
What's Your Reaction?
