By Marcella Raymond, WGN Channel 9
A new rule banning unaccompanied minors at Water Tower Place on weekend evenings went into effect Friday.
Going forward, anyone under the age of 18 is not allowed into the Michigan Avenue mall after 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays unless accompanied by a parent or adult who is at least 21.
The change comes almost a week after a Saturday night incident in which roughly 60 young people gathered near Michigan and Chicago avenues and allegedly attacked passersby. Victims suffered cuts, bruises and fractured bones. Water Tower Place closed early.
A spokesperson for the mall said disruptive behavior from unsupervised teens has been an issue in recent months.
This comes on the heels of a similar incident at North Riverside Park Mall. The mall was forced to shut down Wednesday as large crowds of young people caused major disturbances inside the mall. There were two arrests. Now, no one under 17 is allowed in the mall without parental supervision.
At Water Tower Place, there will be additional public safety officers at mall entrances to check IDs.
Under the new rules, one adult can accompany up to four young people (age 10-17), but there are no such limits for kids under 10.
This article originally appeared on WGN Channel 9.
