A shooting at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix left two people injured by gunfire and another person stabbed in an incident related to a family dispute, police say.
Although police said previously that three people were shot in the incident, they later said two people were shot and that it was unknown whether another injured person was shot or cut.
Phoenix police said the shooting happened at about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday at an airport restaurant located outside the security checkpoints in Terminal 4. A woman and two adult males were shot, leaving the female with injuries police described as life-threatening, they said.
The woman remained in critical condition Thursday, while three other people who were brought to the hospital were treated and released. Police said after consulting with county prosecutors that no arrests were made. They emphasized the investigation of the airport shooting was ongoing.
The group of people all knew each other and had a physical fight that led to one of them to pull a gun, police said.
Sgt. Mayra Reeson says everyone involved knew each other and police detained two suspects.
"We do not believe there are any suspects outstanding. I want to put everyone at ease. Of course this is scary. It was Christmas evening, everybody was trying to get home. You know, 100% the community was pretty concerned for this," said Reeson.
After the gunfire, a man and a girl were detained in a nearby parking garage. They were still investigating why the group was at the airport, and whether they were traveling or were there for some other reason.
The gunfire led to the temporary closure of a security checkpoint in Terminal A and a pause in service at the terminal's PHX Sky Train station.
Man with weapons arrested at airport in separate incident
In addition to the shooting and stabbing, police arrested 21-year old Cole Nenon for showing up at the airport with guns. Sgt. Mayra Reeson says someone told him there was an active shooter.
"This was not an active shooter, it never was. He arrived at the airport with firearms. I don't know what all of the meanings there are but he is destined for several charges," Reeson said.
Police say Nenon handed his firearms to other people at the airport before yelling as he approached an officer posted just outside the shooting scene. The officer reportedly ordered him to stop, he did not, and, after a struggle, the officer arrested him. Investigators say Nenon had no connection to the earlier shooting.
Sky Harbor, one of the largest commercial airports in the U.S., is a hub for American Airlines and a main connecting point for passengers on Southwest and Frontier airlines.
The Phoenix Police are investigating a shooting that happened at @PHXSkyHarbor. No suspects are being sought after, airport operations have resumed to normal business. Police PIO will be going to the scene to collect more information and give a briefing to media at Terminal 4. pic.twitter.com/sT549I2UtL
— Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) December 26, 2024
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated to correct the number of people who were shot at the airport to two, not three as Phoenix police had previously reported.
