An incident where a man drove an SUV through the Sears store at Woodfield Mall and began driving around the mall's interior sparked questions over why there were no barriers outside the building.
Schaumburg's mayor, Tom Dailly, called for such barriers at all entrances at the mall, but Woodfield's management said it was Sears' decision to not install them.
"All mall entrances have bollards installed," the mall said in a statement. "However, the Sears property is owned by Sears, not the mall. Therefore the decision regarding whether or not to install bollards at their entrance is up to them. With respect to the Mayor, he should direct his comments to Sears which owns its store. Further, we are unaware of any previous discussions with the Mayor regarding bollards.”
Transform Co, Sears' parent company, said in a statement Monday it plans to "review its safety and security measures and protocols at our properties."
"The safety and security of our associates and customers is of utmost importance," the statement read.
A black SUV crashed through an entrance near Sears and Rainforest Cafe Friday afternoon and proceeded to wreak havoc throughout the shopping center.
The man accused of driving the SUV into and through the mall was still receiving treatment at a mental health facility as of Monday and won't be charged until he is released, according to police.
The 22-year-old was taken to AMITA Health Behavioral Medicine Institute over the weekend, where he remains in treatment police said in a statement. Police don’t know how long he will be kept there, but said “no charges will be authorized until his release.”
The driver was detained by shoppers before officers arrived to arrest him, police said. He was treated on scene and refused medical transport.
No one was struck by the car but three people were taken to a hospital for “very minor” injuries, Schaumburg Police Chief Bill Wolf said Friday.
There was no indication the incident was meant as an attack, Wolf said. Investigators were looking into the possibility that the driver had some type of medical episode.
