Police ID man they say brought guns to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

On December 27, 2024By Littum

Phoenix police have identified a man they say showed up at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with a gun after reports of a Christmas Day shooting that left four injured.

Cole Nenon, 21, is charged with aggravated assault after spitting on and punching a Phoenix officer who was on the edge of the shooting scene outside Terminal 4 security, police said in a news release Thursday.

Just before 11:25 p.m. Wednesday, Nenon entered the terminal with “several weapons” after a relative told him about a shooting that took place there nearly two hours earlier, police said.

Police have previously said that Nenon was misinformed that there was an active shooter at the airport.

After handing his firearms to other people at the airport, police said, Nenon approached an officer who was standing guard just outside the scene of the shooting.

Police said he appeared angry and began yelling at the officer who approached him. Nenon would not stop yelling when the officer commanded him to, police said. The officer then took Nenon to the ground and restrained him, police said.

As they struggled, Nenon punched the officer and spat on him, police said. He was later charged on suspicion of aggravated assault.

Police said three firearms were found and seized. Police said Nenon had no connection to the earlier shooting, which took place near a restaurant outside airport security.

Airport officials said the report of gunfire outside the restaurant came just after 1 p.m. 21.40. The restaurant is located on the airport’s third level, which includes restaurants and shops.

Four people were taken to the hospital: a woman with life-threatening injuries and three men in stable condition, Police Sgt. said Mayra Reeson.

The five people involved were all familiar with each other, Reeson said. Their physical altercation escalated when someone pulled a gun and started shooting, according to Reeson.

“I believe this was a family dispute that escalated,” Reeson said during a news briefing. “We don’t believe there’s any suspect out there outstanding. I want to reassure everyone.”

When officers arrived, they found three people with gunshot wounds and another person in a Terminal 4 parking garage with “at least one stab wound,” Reeson said.

The police detained two people, a minor girl and the adult man with stab wounds in connection with the shooting. Their identities have not yet been released. A gun was retrieved, Reeson said.

No other community members or airport travelers were injured, Reeson said.

Airport operations have resumed and no flights were affected by the shooting investigation, Phoenix police issued the X.

On Thursday afternoon, the police have not released the names of those involved. It was still unknown if they were from Arizona.

Shootings at Sky Harbor Airport are “extremely rare,” Phoenix police said in an emailed statement Thursday.

“The area in the terminal before security checkpoints is public, therefore the same rules/laws apply as in any public area,” said Sgt. Phil Krynsky with Phoenix police, in response to the Arizona Republic’s questions about the laws surrounding carrying firearms at the airport.

Since late 2015, there have been at least three calls to the airport for someone with a gun and one for a stabbing, according to open data released by Phoenix police. All four reports were made in either 2016 or 2017.

Republic reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. contributed to this article.