On Christmas evening, a violent altercation at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport resulted in three individuals sustaining gunshot wounds and one person being stabbed. The incident occurred around 9:45 p.m. in a restaurant located outside the security checkpoints in Terminal 4
Phoenix police respond to shooting at Sky Harbor Airport
Phoenix police respond to shooting at Sky Harbor Airport

The victims include an adult female with life-threatening injuries and two adult males in stable condition. Additionally, a man with at least one stab wound was hospitalized and is in stable condition. Preliminary investigations suggest that the individuals involved were acquainted and that a physical altercation escalated when one person drew a firearm.

Following the incident, a man and a juvenile female were detained in a nearby airport parking garage. Authorities are investigating the group's purpose at the airport and have not yet disclosed potential charges. The altercation led to temporary closures of a security checkpoint, several restaurants, and a pause in service at the terminal's PHX Sky Train station.

Approximately two hours later, in an unrelated event, a man arrived at the airport carrying multiple firearms after receiving a false text message about an active shooter. He handed his guns to others at the airport before approaching an officer, failed to comply with commands, and was subsequently subdued after a struggle during which he spat on an officer.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, one of the largest commercial airports in the U.S., serves as a hub for American Airlines and a main connecting point for passengers on Southwest and Frontier airlines.