An armored car guard picking up daily receipts from Marshall Field's in Calumet City was shot and robbed Monday while in the vestibule of the mall, "a brazen act in broad daylight," police said.
The 26-year-old guard for United Armored Services was undergoing surgery Monday night at St. James Hospital and Health Centers in Olympia Fields for what's believed to be a single gunshot wound to the neck, authorities said. He was in critical condition.
The guard, a five-year veteran of the company, had just picked up the receipts and was heading back to his truck shortly after 1 p.m., said Calumet City Police Chief Patrick O'Meara. As he entered the vestibule on the south side of the River Oaks shopping center, a man with a gun approached and -- possibly without uttering a word -- opened fire, grabbed the money bag and fled, O'Meara said.
NO GUNMAN FOUND
"It appears it was just boom, take the money, but we're still in the process of reviewing video [surveillance tapes] and everything else," O'Meara said.
It was just the two of them in the vestibule, although shoppers were nearby and witnessed the incident, police said. In fact, it appears the guard's partner, who was in the armored car about 50 feet away, also witnessed it, although police would not reveal how that guard reacted.
Officials with United Armored, based in Broadview, would not comment, other than to say a statement will be issued "at a later time."
Police conducted a two-hour air and ground search but were unable to find the shooter.
The mall remained open, but security was increased as a precaution, a spokeswoman said.
