A trip to buy last-minute Halloween costumes turned into a hospital run Saturday afternoon after someone sprayed an irritant inside the Spirit Halloween store on Nifong Boulevard in Columbia, sending one adult to the hospital and emptying the shop just hours before trick-or-treating began.
The Columbia Police Department responded to a report of “bear mace” being deployed at the Spirit Halloween at 509 Nifong Blvd. Saturday afternoon, according to KOMU 8. The store closed shortly after the reported deployment, leaving Columbia shoppers with one less option for grabbing last-minute costumes on Halloween itself.
Store manager Mike Whitaker said someone sprayed a customer in line with pepper spray, according to ABC 17 News. The station reported that the store planned to stay closed while staff cleared the irritant out of the air before letting shoppers back in.
Firefighters Happened To Be Nearby
Columbia firefighters were already working a different call nearby when they were alerted and responded to the scene, the station's report noted. An ABC 17 reporter saw emergency crews outside the store at 1:49 p.m., giving a precise window for just how quickly the response came together.
One adult was transported to the hospital for heavy exposure and was reported in stable condition, per the Columbia Police Department. Columbia police spokesperson Colin Imhoff said investigators are still working to locate two juvenile suspects connected to the incident, and as of the station's report, no arrests had been made.
Bear Mace Or Pepper Spray? Police Aren't Certain
Initial reports identified the substance as bear mace, but Imhoff said it could also have been regular pepper spray, leaving the exact chemical involved unresolved even as the investigation continues. Police described the incident as a possible ill-advised prank or reckless behavior rather than a targeted attack, though that assessment has not been finalized into any formal charges.
With Halloween costume shopping compressed into the final hours before trick-or-treating, the temporary closure left some Columbia families scrambling for alternatives. Anyone with information about the two juveniles police are seeking has not been given a specific tip line in reporting so far, and the case remains open as detectives continue piecing together what happened inside the crowded seasonal store.
