Family members Thursday were mourning the death of U.S. Army veteran Norman Thomas, who was shot and killed during a robbery Wednesday at River Oaks Center in Calumet City.
The 57-year-old Blue Island man was working as a security guard at Flawless Diamonds in the mall when several people entered the mall and fired multiple shots just after noon Wednesday, according to authorities.
“He was just a beautiful person and our hearts are breaking,” said Mamie David, an aunt. “He served his country and didn’t deserve this.”
She said he had served in Operation Desert Storm.
Thomas, of the 2300 block of 119th Street, was pronounced dead at 1:12 p.m. Wednesday at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office, which ruled his death a homicide.
Service Employees International Union Local 73 issued a statement saying Thomas was a longtime steward within the environmental services department at Stroger Hospital and an active member of bargaining teams throughout contract negotiations.
The union said it will hold a memorial service from 2:45-3 p.m. outside Stroger Hospital, 1969 W Ogden Ave, Chicago.
The shooting took place at Flawless Diamonds, near an interior entrance to Macy’s, one of two anchor tenants at the mall.
Calumet City police said they responded immediately and that several police officers who had been taking part in a training exercise nearby also responded.
The jewelry store is also steps away from an outside entrance to the mall.
Although the city had ordered the mall to close following the shooting, it reopened Thursday. A city spokesman, Sean Howard, said police Thursday afternoon cleared the mall of shoppers and closed it until further notice.
“This is a criminal investigation,” Howard said.
Police were searching for several offenders who entered the mall and stole an undetermined amount of merchandise from the store during the robbery.
Some River Oaks shoppers said Thursday they were aware of the shooting but that it would not stop them from shopping there.
Desiree Simons said she frequently shops at Macy’s but was not worried about her safety.
“Stuff like that is scary, but I don’t know if I’ll stay away because of it,” the Calumet City resident said. “You see that stuff going on in downtown Chicago. It’s everywhere.”
Barbara Hoskins said she has lived in Calumet City for more than 40 years and that while she doesn’t shop at River Oaks as often as she used to, she said she is not afraid to visit there.
“It really doesn’t bother me, I know these sorts of things can happen anywhere,” she said.
Hoskins said she sees security guards patrolling the mall and feels secure.
“They’re out there and I know they have guns and I’m not too worried,” she said.
The mall will remain closed until further notice, Howard said Thursday.
He said police were looking at whatever security camera images were available, but that there is “a lack of cameras in corridors throughout the building,” and that Calumet City officials want to see security improved.
Howard said there was no set date of when the mall would reopen, with the busy holiday shopping season getting underway.
“The safety and security of the mall is our major concern,” he said. “It’s shopping season, but a man was murdered. I’m not putting a time frame on when it will reopen.”
River Oaks is owned by Namdar Realty Group, a Great Neck, N.Y.-based company that owns dozens of indoor and outdoor retail centers around the country.
The company, in partnership with Mason Asset Management, specializes in buying down-on-their-luck retail centers, and acquired River Oaks in February 2017.
Messages left Thursday with Namdar and River Oaks management seeking comment were not immediately returned.
The same month it bought River Oaks, Namdar bought The Landings, a 319,000-square-foot shopping center south of River Oaks in Lansing.
In March 2017, it snapped up Matteson Town Center, a 181,000-square-foot retail center at the southwest corner of Cicero Avenue and U.S. 30, then in July of that year acquired the 300,000-square-foot Marketplace of Matteson, at the southwest corner U.S. 30 and Governors Highway.
The company acquired Ford City Mall on Chicago’s Southwest Side in spring 2019.
River Oaks’ current anchor tenants are Macy’s and J.C. Penney. In earlier years, it counted Carson Pirie Scott and Sears as anchors, with both spaces now vacant.
Calumet City gained ownership of the 330,000-square-foot vacant Sears space using a no-cash bid through Cook County.
The city had been in the running for a casino license for the south suburbs planned near River Oak Center, but ultimately scratched from contention in favor of a project in East Hazel Crest and Homewood.
Calumet City had proposed using the vacant Carson Pirie Scott space for a temporary casino while the permanent gaming facility was being constructed. Property including the former site of River Oaks Theatres, now demolished, on the east side of Torrence Avenue and directly south of the mall, was proposed for the casino.
In late July, Calumet City officials approved a sale of $31 million in bonds, with proceeds going toward projects such as sewer and water infrastructure improvements and technology updates for City Hall.
Some of the money has been earmarked for development of Roaring Rivers, a water park planned for the Sears property. The $79 million project will include a hotel, according to the city.
mnolan@tribpub.com
