Police were called to a branch of PetSmart in Fort Wayne, Indiana after the suspicious deaths of over 100 fish in the store.
Staff noticed a large number of fish struggling and dying in their displays and on closer inspection the manager discovered the receiving tanks behind the displays were covered in bubbles.
A discarded cup with a small amount of detergent left inside was then found beside these tanks pointing to a deliberate act of poisoning.
Worryingly an employee is the prime suspect after other staff members reported seeing a colleague arriving late and failing to clock in before disappearing behind the scenes to where the receiving tanks are accessed.
He was then seen coming out of the room, buying a couple of items and leaving the shop. Shortly after this the distressed fish were discovered.
Quick action by other employees rescued many other fish from a similar fate as they were able to move survivors to unconnected tanks.
PetSmart management wouldn't disclose the value of the fish killed, but confirmed that the contamination appeared deliberate and the matter had been passed onto the police, but as yet no arrests had been made.
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