Sunday, March 15, 2020 | 7:28 a.m.
A Las Vegas retail store was evacuated Saturday night after a man dressed in a hazmat suit went into the business and sprayed an unknown substance onto items, according to Metro Police.
Thirteen shoppers who came into contact with the liquid were being evaluated, but not hospitalized as of late Saturday, Officer Aden OcampoGomez said. They were showing no signs of illness, he said.
The suspect, whose license plate number was given to police by a citizen who trailed him out of the store, was arrested.
Investigators were working late into the night to try to determine what the substance was, OcampoGomez said.
Police responded about 8:15 p.m. to a crowded Walmart at 7200 Arroyo Crossings Parkway, near Rainbow Boulevard and the 215 Beltway, where many shoppers were scrambling for supplies out of coronavirus fears. Store management decided to evacuate the store as a precaution, Lt. Miguel Ibarra said.
“Nobody is in danger at this point,” OcampoGomez said. “We know that there’s a difficult time going on with the world right now.”
Stores across the valley continued to be slammed on Saturday with panicked shoppers, many of whom were greeted by empty shelves and long lines at checkout.
But there is no point of hoarding items, since there are still plenty of supplies to sustain the community, OcampoGomez said.
“There is a lot going on within the world” and local police are doing the “best we can to keep our city safe,” he concluded, thanking the people in the store who led police to the suspect.
It wasn’t clear what charges the suspect could face.
