Baltimore: 19 people hospitalized after a bleach fight between two women at Walmart.
Two women have been arrested after they started a bleach and other chemicals fight in a Walmart store in Baltimore, Maryland.
Police said Theresa Monique Jefferson, 33, and another woman threw bleach and another chemical on each other during the argument, prompting officials to evacuate the store for two hours and call in a hazardous materials team.
According to firefighters, 19 people, Walmart customers and employees, had to be taken to hospitals, although only one was thought to have serious injuries.
The alleged bleach fight between the two women took place in the Lansdowne Station shopping centre in Baltimore.
The Baltimore Sun said the argument between Theresa Monique Jefferson and the other woman went back before the store fight.
The Baltimore Sun also reported Theresa Monique Jefferson has a child with the victim’s boyfriend.
A spokesman for Walmart told the New York Daily News:
“This is obviously not the type of behaviour that we would expect from people at our stores.
“And we want to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused other customers.”
Three Walmart employees were also taken to hospital with minor respiratory problems.
The person who is in serious conditions was taken to the Wilmer Eye Institute with a potentially serious eye injury.
Firefighters were called to the Walmart store in the Baltimore suburb of Arbutus shortly before 11:00 a.m. Saturday.
Glenn Blackwell, Fire Department spokesman says that, by the end of the day, one person was arrested and charges are pending.
According to authorities, the other chemical used in the fight was ammonia and, when bleach and ammonia are mixed toxic fumes are produced that can cause choking and breathing problems.
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