Pepper Spray Used at Shopping Mall Parking Lot; 3 Taken to Hospital

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:16 JST, May 23, 2025

Thirty-seven people complained of eye, throat and other pain after pepper spray was used inside a multistory parking lot at a shopping mall in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, on Friday, police said.

Three of the victims were taken to hospital, including a man in his 60s who complained of breathing difficulty.

At around 2:50 p.m., a customer called the police saying that they smelled something like hydrochloric acid at the Aeon Mall Chiba New Town.

According to the police, the pepper spray is believed to have been used following a dispute over smoking between customers.

The police are currently questioning a man in his 50s who is suspected of spraying the tear gas.