CALUMET CITY, Ill. (WLS) — Police are now searching for several suspects who remain at large after a security guard was shot and killed inside the River Oaks Mall in south suburban Calumet City Wednesday.
Family identified the man killed as 57-year-old Norman Thomas, saying he was full of life.
“He was such a good person, the sweetest nephew,” his aunt Mamie David said.
The Army veteran loved his family and his job.
“He came all the way from Desert Storm, and never got injured or anything in the military. Then he comes here, and then he gets killed doing his job,” David said.
He recently took a job as a security guard at a jewelry store at River Oaks Center.
Sources told ABC7 Chicago the shooting was carried out by a team of armed thieves that got away with jewelry.
WATCH | Police update on River Oaks Mall shooting
Police responded to a report of shots fired at the mall around 12:15 p.m., Calumet City Police Chief Kevin Kolosh said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
The midday gunfire brought a swarm of police and sent mall employees and shoppers scrambling for safety.
Officials said about 20 Calumet City police officers were at an active shooter training session on mall property and responded quickly.
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Kolosh said those officers found a male security guard with multiple gunshot wounds and immediately began performing life-saving measures until paramedics could arrive. A second male victim, who police said is 81, suffered a minor hand injury from broken glass and was treated on the scene.
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As Thomas was rushed to a hospital, officers searched for multiple offenders. But after sweeping the mall for an hour, no one was arrested.
Thomas died at the hospital.
His family is heartbroken. They just spent the weekend together. He said goodbye to his mother who moved out of state. And now, the family has to get together again, only this time to bury the man they call the pillar of their family.
“He was always there for me. He was always trying to keep the family together,” David said.
“Norman was just like my brother; it really hurt, it really hurt,” said Willie Booker, Thomas’ former brother-in-law.
Though police have declined to comment on a motive, sources tell ABC7 Chicago the store was targeted by thieves. Police said the suspects drove away and are currently not in custody.
Calumet City spokesman Sean Howard said there have been ongoing concerns about crime and security at the mall.
“We’ve been in constant talks about taking over this mall for a variety of reasons, but particularly for safety and security,” Howard said. “There’s just some measures that we’ve asked them to perform, and some of those measures have been met and some have not.”
Other store owners said they’ve complained about issues, including drug dealing.
The owners of River Oaks Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The mall is closed, and it’s unclear when it will reopen. City officials said they will not allow the mall to reopen without meeting a list of their demands, including installing more cameras.
“We are going to be steadfast in our quest to take over this mall because these particular owners have not been very neighbor-friendly to our residents,” Howard said.
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