3 People Shot at Ariz. Airport During Christmas Day Family Dispute

Mar. 15, 2025

A Christmas evening shooting at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport left three people with gunshot wounds, including one victim with life-threatening injuries, and one person with a stab wound.Phoenix police are investigating the shooting, which took place at a “restaurant within terminal 4 outside of the security checkpoints,” the department confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement.The shooting victims were a woman who suffered life-threatening injuries and two men, who are in stable condition, per the statement.Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.Robert Alexander/GettyA man and a juvenile were detained, police said; the man was suffering from a stab wound.All five victims know each other, investigators learned.“I do believe that this was a family dispute that escalated,” Phoenix police Sgt. Mayra Reeson said, per theAssociated PressandNBC News.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’sfree True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.In a statement, a Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport spokesperson confirmed the incident to PEOPLE, adding that while the incident briefly halted certain operations in Terminal 4, it has since been “resolved” and most operations are back to normal.The spokesperson declined comment on the airport’s policies regarding guns, instead directing inquiries on the subject to Phoenix police.Sergeant Mayra Reeson with the Phoenix police tells PEOPLE that the attack took place outside the TSA-area, in an unsecured location which is accessible to the public. Anyone with a legally-owned firearm in the state can have access in the non-secure area, she says.PerFox 10 Phoenix, Reeson said, “I do not recommend bringing guns to an airport."

A Christmas evening shooting at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport left three people with gunshot wounds, including one victim with life-threatening injuries, and one person with a stab wound.

Phoenix police are investigating the shooting, which took place at a “restaurant within terminal 4 outside of the security checkpoints,” the department confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement.

The shooting victims were a woman who suffered life-threatening injuries and two men, who are in stable condition, per the statement.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.Robert Alexander/Getty

Robert Alexander/Getty

A man and a juvenile were detained, police said; the man was suffering from a stab wound.

All five victims know each other, investigators learned.

“I do believe that this was a family dispute that escalated,” Phoenix police Sgt. Mayra Reeson said, per theAssociated PressandNBC News.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’sfree True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

In a statement, a Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport spokesperson confirmed the incident to PEOPLE, adding that while the incident briefly halted certain operations in Terminal 4, it has since been “resolved” and most operations are back to normal.

The spokesperson declined comment on the airport’s policies regarding guns, instead directing inquiries on the subject to Phoenix police.

Sergeant Mayra Reeson with the Phoenix police tells PEOPLE that the attack took place outside the TSA-area, in an unsecured location which is accessible to the public. Anyone with a legally-owned firearm in the state can have access in the non-secure area, she says.

PerFox 10 Phoenix, Reeson said, “I do not recommend bringing guns to an airport."

source: people.com