On Christmas evening, a shocking incident unfolded at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, leaving travelers rattled. It all started around 9:45 PM when a family argument escalated into violence at a restaurant in Terminal 4. In the chaos, three people were shot, and one person was stabbed.
According to the police, the altercation involved five individuals who were all related. Two adult men and one adult woman were shot, with the woman’s injuries being described as life-threatening. Thankfully, the two men are expected to survive. One of the men who was stabbed is currently in stable condition at the hospital.
After the incident, a man and a juvenile girl were detained in an airport parking garage, but no charges have been filed yet. Police confirmed that all those involved knew each other and that no innocent bystanders were harmed. They emphasized that the group had not gone through TSA security, which helped prevent a larger crisis.
As the situation unfolded, airport operations were temporarily halted, including the Phoenix Sky Train, as a precaution. However, by around 10:30 PM, the shelter-in-place order was lifted, and everything returned to normal at the airport.
Sgt. Mayra Reeson of the Phoenix police stated, “Of course this was scary, this was Christmas evening, everybody’s trying to get home.” She also reminded everyone that bringing guns to an airport is not advisable.
In the end, while the incident was alarming, the airport was able to resume normal operations quickly, allowing travelers to continue their journeys home.
