Four people were taken to the hospital after someone allegedly threw a plastic bottle containing chemicals into the air inside a Meijer supermarket in Michigan. Authorities are still looking for the culprit.
On Tuesday, around 4:30 p.m., Fruitport Township police and firefighters responded to the Meijer store at 5300 Harvey St. after receiving a report of an “unknown noxious gas” spreading throughout the store.
When they arrived, they discovered a little gaseous cloud in the center of the store, which smelled like chlorine.
Authorities stabilized the situation, and further investigation revealed that a small plastic bottle placed in the store’s Home Goods area dispersed the material.
The Fruitport Township Fire Department retrieved the plastic bottle, and the Muskegon County Hazardous Materials Response Team responded to the store.
Swimming pool chemicals, according to investigators, created the gaseous cloud.
Four people received treatment at a local hospital and were later released.
Police are looking for the person responsible for this incident. They provided a photo of a person who was spotted in the area where the plastic bottle was placed, committing retail theft while the gaseous cloud was visible. The police have released a snapshot of the suspect’s vehicle.
Anyone with witness accounts or video recordings of the incident should contact
Detective Sergeant Bryan Rypstra or Deputy Chief Greg Poulson of the Fruitport Township Police Department, or Silent Observer at 231-722-7463.
