Security guard fatally shot at Calumet City mall

A security guard died hours after he was shot at a Calumet City shopping mall Wednesday afternoon.

Just after noon, officers responded to a call of shots fired at a jewelry store in the River Oaks Center at 96 River Oaks Center Dr. When they arrived, the guard, 57, was on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital, where he died about 5:30 p.m., Calumet City spokesman Sean Howard said.

According to Calumet City Police, the suspects entered the store and left with an unknown amount of merchandise. Witnesses told officers the suspects left the mall and fled in a vehicle.

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An 81-year-old man was also injured in the attack but not by gunfire, Howard said.

At a news conference outside the mall, Calumet City Police Chief Kevin Kolosh told reporters the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident.

At the time of the shooting, about 20 officers were conducting training in a building adjacent to the mall, Kolosh said. “It certainly increased our response time,” the chief said.

The mall has been an “ongoing problem for the city,” according to Howard. “We’re not happy with the stigma attached to this mall and the safety concerns,” he said.

The city has been having conversations with mall management, and Howard expects the talks will intensify following the latest shooting. The mall was closed, and it was unclear when it would reopen.