5-year-old thrown from Mall of America balcony no longer in critical condition, has regained consciousness

KTRK logo
Friday, April 26, 2019
Mall of America incident: 5-year-old victim no longer in critical condition, has regained consciousness
The 5-year-old boy thrown from a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America earlier this month has regained consciousness and is no longer in critical condition, according to his f

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The 5-year-old boy thrown from a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America earlier this month has regained consciousness and is no longer in critical condition, according to his family.

"All praise, glory and honor to Jesus! He saved our son's life and is healing him in the most miraculous ways," the family said in a statement released to the media. "We are so elated to let you know that our son is now alert and conscious and is no longer in critical condition! We are now turning our focus to additional surgeries, healing, rehabilitation and eventually a return home, which we hope will happen by June."

The child, publicly identified by his family only as Landen, plunged almost 40 feet and is fighting for his life in a Minneapolis hospital with head trauma and multiple broken bones. In the time since the April 12 attack, a GoFundMe campaign has raised nearly $1 million from more than 28,000 donors to offset the cost of the boy's medical treatment.

Family members expressed gratitude for the donations, saying, "Your love and generosity overwhelms and means so much to us! We have no idea where we would be without you - God and your prayers have sustained us."

"The road to recovery remains long, but with God and you, we are assured to make it through. Please keep praying for our son and may our loving God bless you and everyone you love," they added.

A man accused of throwing a 5-year-old boy from a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America said little Tuesday during his first court appearance.

Emmanuel Aranda, 24, of Minneapolis, has been charged with attempted premeditated first-degree murder. Police say Aranda told them he went to the mall "looking for someone to kill" and chose the boy at random.

Aranda's bail has been set at $2 million and an omnibus hearing is set for May 14. Paul Sellers, the public defender appointed to represent Aranda, said his client has been in mental health court before.

Aranda has two past convictions for assaults at the mall, both in 2015, and was banned from the mall at one point. Court records show that Aranda had been ordered to undergo psychological evaluation or treatment after those assaults.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.