Landen Hoffman, the five-year-old thrown off balcony at Mall of America, showing "real signs of recovery"
Landen Hoffman, the five-year-old boy who was grievously injured after being thrown off a balcony at Mall of America in Minnesota, is showing "real signs of recovery," although he still remains in intensive care.
“The new test results have been positive, though he remains in intensive care with a long road of recovery ahead,” said Landen's family friend Noah Hanneman in a statement on GoFundMe on Friday.
Hanneman also asked for privacy for the victim and his family as the need of the hour was to focus on the recovery of Landen. 'We continue our request for privacy as we focus on Landen and thank you for respecting our wishes. Just know that we all feel your overwhelming love, prayers and support - He is answering our prayers and they are working.”
“'Please continue to pray for Landen and his family, every single prayer is important. Thank you so much from all of us and have a blessed Easter weekend.”
Landen suffered head trauma and multiple broken bones when he fell nearly 40 feet and landed on the stone floor of the shopping center in Bloomington, Minnesota, on April 12.
GoFundMe’s campaign to raise funds for his treatment in the meantime has touched the $900,000 mark.
“Thank you for showing us there is so much good not only in our community but across the globe. Condition is again similar to previous days, another peaceful night of sleep - small steps towards the healing process. Each new day is a good day. “
“Landen's recovery is expected to be ongoing for a long time, while it's hard to estimate costs, this will change everything for their family and require much of their time and focus,” read the statement.
A previous update claimed that Landen had undergone surgery to remove his spleen and would need several more procedures going forward.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Aranda, the 24-year old who was responsible for pushing Landen off the balcony, has been arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder, according to Bloomington police. His bail was set at $2 million.
According to reports from Daily Mail, Aranda allegedly told police that he went to the mall looking for revenge. He had apparently been rejected by women there for several years. The criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County said that Aranda came close to Landen and his mother, picked the child and threw him off the balcony.
Soon after, Aranda broke into a run, but was caught by the police. As reported by CNN, Aranda, in his confession, said that he had come up with the idea to kill someone a day earlier and was planning to target an adult because “they usually stand near the balcony.” But that didn’t work out and he returned Friday and apparently chose the boy instead.
Talking to KSTP, Aranda’s uncle, Francis Aranda, said that his nephew had a past history of violent behavior, and hoped that he wouldn’t go to jail. Prior to this incident, Aranda has a criminal record that includes two convictions in 2015 for obstruction of the legal process with a peace officer, fifth-degree assault and damage to property.