Family Dispute Erupts in Violence at Phoenix Airport, Leaving Four Injured

A family dispute escalated into a violent incident at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Christmas night, leaving three people shot and another stabbed, CNN reports.

The incident occurred at a restaurant within Terminal 4, outside the security perimeter, around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday.

Phoenix police Sgt. Mayra Reeson told reporters that responding officers found three individuals with gunshot wounds at the scene. A juvenile female and a man were later detained in the airport parking garage. The man detained had sustained at least one stab wound.

All four victims were transported to a local hospital. One woman who had been shot was listed in critical condition, while the other two men with gunshot wounds and the stabbing victim were all in stable condition, police said early Thursday.

Authorities believe all five people involved in the incident knew each other. According to Reeson, the altercation intensified when someone produced a handgun.

As of early Thursday, those detained had not been interviewed and no charges had been filed. It is still unclear if the group was planning to travel or had other reasons for being at the airport.

The incident led to a temporary closure of Terminal 4’s security checkpoint, according to an airport spokesperson, though operations quickly returned to normal. Police emphasized that there are “no active threats at the airport” and that no flights have been affected. While detectives continue to investigate, all restaurants in the food court were closed during the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

Authorities have confirmed that weapons were recovered at the scene.

Adding to the chaos, a separate incident occurred when a man, acting on misinformation about a possible active shooter, arrived at the airport with a gun. He was detained after an altercation with police.