On Christmas night, a violent altercation erupted at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, leaving three individuals shot and one stabbed. The incident, which authorities believe was related to a family dispute, occurred in Terminal 4 of the airport. Police responded quickly to the scene, and the situation was resolved within hours. While there was some confusion and panic in the immediate aftermath, officials confirmed that there were no ongoing threats to public safety.
Incident Details: A Christmas Night Altercation
Around 9:45 p.m. on December 25, Phoenix police were alerted to gunfire at a restaurant in Terminal 4 of the airport. The restaurant is located outside the security checkpoint, which meant that the gunfire did not directly impact passengers or air travel operations inside the terminal. When police arrived at the scene, they found three people suffering from gunshot wounds.
In addition to the gunshot victims, one person was found with stab wounds in a nearby parking garage. Authorities confirmed that the stabbing and shooting victims were part of the same altercation, and that the incident involved five people in total, all of whom appeared to know each other.
Phoenix Police arrested this man who they say showed up to Sky Harbor Airport with guns after hearing false information of an active shooter.
To be clear, the shooting at Sky Harbor was NOT an active shooting. It was a fight that ended with gunshots and a stabbing. @12News pic.twitter.com/GHivczFNCg
— Gabriella Bachara (@GabbyBachara) December 26, 2024Suspects Detained and Investigation Underway
After the violent incident, police quickly detained a female juvenile and a man who were found in the airport’s parking garage. The man had at least one stab wound, while the juvenile was taken into custody for questioning. Authorities have not yet filed charges against either individual, as the investigation is still in its early stages.
Phoenix Police Sergeant Mayra Reeson stated that the incident appeared to have been a family dispute that escalated when one of the individuals involved produced a handgun. Police did not provide further details on the nature of the disagreement, but it is believed that the five people involved were all familiar with each other.
The Victims’ Conditions and Hospital Transport
Four of the individuals involved were transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. According to police, one of the women who was shot is in critical condition, while the two men with gunshot wounds and the stabbing victim are all in stable condition. Medical teams worked quickly to treat the injured, and there has been no update on their condition since the early morning hours of December 26.
Airport Operations Affected, but Back to Normal
The shooting forced the temporary closure of the security checkpoint in Terminal 4. As police investigated the situation, airport operations were briefly disrupted. A spokesperson for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport confirmed that the security checkpoint was temporarily closed, and that all restaurants in the food court were shut down during the incident. Fortunately, the situation was quickly resolved, and airport operations returned to normal by early Thursday morning.
There were no significant delays reported for flights departing or arriving at the airport, and the incident had no lasting impact on air travel. The airport spokesperson reassured the public that there were no ongoing threats to the safety of travelers.
False Alarm Adds to the Chaos
As authorities worked to investigate the shooting and stabbing, an additional complication arose. A man, having heard misinformation about an active shooter at the airport, arrived at the scene with a gun. This led to a brief altercation with police. The man was detained, but it was quickly determined that there was no active shooter situation at the airport.
Police clarified that there were no active threats at the airport, and that the situation had been handled by the responding officers. The confusion, however, contributed to the tense atmosphere surrounding the incident. Despite the chaos, the police and airport officials worked to reassure the public that everything was under control.
Moving Forward: No Further Threats
In the aftermath of the violent altercation, police emphasized that there were no remaining threats at the airport. The investigation into what led to the shooting and stabbing is ongoing, and authorities are piecing together the details of what transpired between the five individuals involved. As of early Thursday, no charges had been filed, and the detained suspects were still being questioned by investigators.
Police and airport officials also sought to reassure travelers that the incident was isolated and that the airport was operating normally. Despite the violent nature of the dispute, no flights were affected, and normal airport procedures resumed quickly.
While the event cast a shadow over Christmas night at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, authorities have stated that the incident was an isolated one, stemming from a family dispute, and there is no reason for the public to be concerned about further violence or threats at the airport.
Read More : Boxing Day: A British Tradition and Global Celebration
