AKITA (Kyodo) -- A bear entered a shopping mall of retail giant Aeon Co. in Akita Prefecture on Sunday, prompting staff to barricade the animal before authorities arrived to kill it.

The incident took place during shopping hours, but all customers inside the Aeon Noshiro mall in northeastern Japan were safely evacuated.

A staff member made an emergency call to police around 11:20 a.m. to report the entry into the mall of the bear, which was found near the first-floor furniture section. It was tranquilized by a blow dart before being killed by electric shock more than two hours later.

The police closed the mall's entrances and imposed traffic restrictions in the area until the bear was killed. It remained closed for the rest of the day.

A 66-year-old nearby resident who came to shop expressed fear about a bear appearing in such a busy area.