Christmas Day Airport Brawl Leaves Three Shot, One Stabbed

Christmas night turned bloody at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona when three people were shot and a fourth person was stabbed, in an incident believed to have stemmed from a family dispute.

According to CNN, police were called over reports of a shooting around 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday at a restaurant located within Terminal 4 of the airport, but outside of the security checkpoints. Investigators say that a physical altercation broke out within the group, leading to one individual pulling out a handgun and shooting at multiple people. A woman and two men were taken to local hospitals with gunshot injuries, with the woman reportedly left in critical condition.

Police later took a man with "at least one stab wound" into custody along with a juvenile female, both of who were found in the parking garage.

"I believe this was a family dispute that escalated," Phoenix police Sgt. Mayra Reeson told reporters early Thursday, noting that all five people involved likely knew each other. 

As of Thursday morning, police had not yet interviewed any of the suspects in custody and no charges had been filed, though weapons had been recovered.

"We do not believe that there’s any suspects out there," Reeson said, adding: "This is scary. It was Christmas evening. Everybody is trying to get home."

The Phoenix Police are investigating a shooting that happened at @PHXSkyHarbor. No suspects are being sought after, airport operations have resumed to normal business. Police PIO will be going to the scene to collect more information and give a briefing to media at Terminal 4. pic.twitter.com/sT549I2UtL

— Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) December 26, 2024

Aside from the woman who sustained life-threatening injuries, the other two gunshot victims and the man who was stabbed were all said to be in stable condition. It's still unclear whether the group had been planning to travel together or if they were at the airport for another reason.

Further adding to the chaotic scene, a man who heard misinformation about a possible active shooter arrived at the airport with a gun as police were in the process of investigating the dispute. That man was said to have been detained after an altercation with police.

The security checkpoint at the terminal was temporarily closed as a precaution amid the investigation and Sky Train operations were likewise paused. However, as of Thursday no flights were being affected and police said there were "no active threats at the airport."

"The incident has been resolved and operations are returning to normal," an airport spokesperson said on Thursday.