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Published 15:14 17 Dec 2022 GMT
A woman whose then-five-year-old son was thrown off a balcony by a stranger at the Mall of America in 2019 has spoken out about the incident.
The horrific ordeal took place in April 2019 and saw a man pick up five-year-old Landen and throw him over a third-floor balcony outside the Rainforest Cafe at the Bloomington, Minn. mall.
The boy's mother, Kari Hoffman, witnessed the shocking act, as well as strangers nearby. He sadly suffered severe head trauma and broke a number of bones in his arms and legs.
Now, in a new interview on Good Morning America, Kari recalls: "We were just looking at the alligator at the Rainforest Café, and a stranger came up and was whispering to these two little boys. And I thought that he was gonna turn this alligator on for them. He snatched [Landen] and ran. And I was just frozen … It happened so fast. I screamed, 'No!' after he was already thrown."
Check out the interview here:She added: "I don’t even remember running down the escalators, but I was screaming the whole time, ‘No, Landen’s not gonna die.'"
As a crowd began to emerge at the scene, Hoffmann asked onlookers to pray for her little boy.
"I don’t care who was looking. If they were looking, I asked them to pray," she said. "He’s got a heartbeat. He was breathing. We got in the ambulance, and right before they shut the door, he opened his eyes for a second."
The youngster was rushed to the hospital and received treatment for brain trauma. "Listening to him breathing with the machine's beeping was the best sound I've ever heard in my life," Hoffmann went on. "Because that meant he was alive."
Landen added: "Some people don't believe it, but I don't care if they do or not. I just care that lots of people care about me, and I care about them too."
Following months of recovery, Landen, now eight, was able to return to school for his first day of kindergarten. Hoffman says her faith allowed her to forgive the man who harmed her son.
She said: "I don't think forgiveness is a feeling, it's a decision you have to make. It's a decision that you have to make so that God can do what he needs to do in your life ... and that was to save Landen."
According to police, the man responsible, 24-year-old Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, went to the Mall of America "looking for someone to kill" because he'd been rejected by women at the establishment, per a criminal complaint obtained by People.
Aranda was ultimately sentenced to 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder.
Last year, the Hoffmans filed a lawsuit against the Mall of America for allowing Ananda onto the property.
Published 23:21 26 Apr 2019 GMT
On April 12, a man senselessly threw a 5-year-old boy off the third floor balcony of the Mall of America, a popular tourist destination in Bloomington, Minnesota. The child, identified as Landen, fell forty feet and suffered several life-threatening injuries, including multiple broken bones and severe head trauma. For the past two weeks, he has been in critical condition.
On Friday, family attorney R. Stephen Tillitt reported the boy's condition has improved to "alert and conscious." "All praise, glory and honor to Jesus!" said Tillitt, reading a statement from the family of the child, per ABC News. "We are so elated to let you know that our son is now alert and conscious and is no longer in critical condition!"
24-year-old Emmanuel Aranda allegedly grabbed the child, threw him off the balcony and fled the scene. Police apprehended him at a nearby rail station, where he appeared "calm" and did not resist arrest. According to a probable cause document, Aranda told investigators he was "looking for someone to kill, but it did not 'work out.'" He claimed he wanted to "kill someone at the mall" because he was angry about women rejecting him.
"He said he planned to kill an adult, because they usually stand near the balcony, but he chose the victim instead," stated the document, per ABC News. "[He] indicated he had been coming to the mall for several years and had made efforts to talk to women in the mall, but had been rejected, and the rejection caused him to lash out and be aggressive."
Police said Aranda's actions at the mall were captured on surveillance video. He is currently being held on felony charges of premeditated murder, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
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A GoFundMe page has raised more than $1 million to help the boy, who has a long road of recovery ahead.
"We are now turning our focus to additional surgeries, healing, rehabilitation and eventually a return home, which we hope will happen by June," stated Tillitt, on behalf of Landen's family. "We want to personally thank each and every one of you for your love, prayers and support...The road to recovery remains long, but with God and you, we are assured to make it through. Please keep praying for our son."
Last week, the Mall of America released a statement: "This was a senseless act and words cannot truly express our profound shock and sadness. Our immediate and only concern is for the well being of the family and the child, as well as for any individuals who may have witnessed the incident."
Published 17:57 04 Sep 2019 GMT
A boy left in a critical condition after being thrown from a Mall of America balcony has finally left hospital after five months.
Identified only as Landen, the five-year-old, who almost lost his life in April, has recovered from the extensive injuries he received after he was pushed by a stranger. The good news was shared by a family friend, Noah Hanneman, on his GoFundMe page, which has raised more than $1 million and counting to cover his medical expenses.
The video below details Landen's miraculous recovery:
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"We are pleased to share that our son completed his inpatient rehabilitation and is now home. We are so thankful, and we rejoice in the Lord's blessings to our family," the family said in a statement.
"We continue to ask that His healing powers guide us and our son's care team as we enter the next phase of recovery, which includes continued outpatient rehabilitation for multiple injuries and adjusting to life back at home and school."
In August, the five-year-old was moved from intensive care to a general ward, showing how much progress he had made. Landen fell almost 40 feet in the mall, sustaining extensive injuries.
On June 25, Hanneman said: "The injuries and severe complications have now resulted in more than 15 separate medical procedures or surgeries, including surgeries for two broken arms and a broken leg, removal of his spleen, procedures for fluid in his lungs and stomach, as well as for facial and skull fractures.
"Just this past weekend, he had a stent placed in a vein that runs through his liver because of the serious complications he continues to endure."
ABC affiliate KSTP reports that the man responsible, Emmanuel Aranda, pictured above at his sentencing, was "looking for someone to kill, but it did not 'work out'".
He pleaded guilty to premeditated first-degree murder in May, accepting a plea deal for 19 years behind bars.
Hanneman's last update on GoFundMe expressed continued thanks for all of the support Landan has received.
"Thank you to all of you who prayed for us and loved us during the past 4 1/2 months. You helped to give us hope and show us the Glory of God's great love here on earth even during the darkest of days," he said.
Published 17:17 05 Nov 2019 GMT
Warning: Some people may find images in this article upsetting.
A mother has shared pictures of the horrific injuries her son received after he was allegedly attacked by a "two-year-old child" at daycare.
The incident, which took place in April of last year, left Jesse Harris IV with cuts, grazes, and severely swollen lips, but despite the extent of the toddler's injuries, prosecutors have refused to press charges against those who were supposedly caring for the child.
Now, his parents are questioning who really hurt Jesse at the daycare center:
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According to the prosecutor, Terry Curry, an investigation into Jesse's injuries, a medical review, statements, and cell phone records did not substantiate a criminal charge.
After receiving a call from the KiddieGarden Daycare to say that her child was injured, Jesse's mother, Tiffany Griffin, filed for criminal charges, convinced that a child couldn't cause such extensive injuries.
The IndyChannel reported that the two children were "periodically" checked in on and the alarm was raised when Jesse was injured.
Tiffany said: "When I saw my son's face - I was like - If a 2-year-old did it, how could she have that much time to do that?
"I would have heard my son screaming from outside."
Meanwhile, prosecutor Curry released a statement about the incident which was in line with the daycare center's account of events.
He said: "A medical expert confirmed that the child’s injuries were consistent with having been inflicted by another young child. The daycare employee who was responsible for the child's care has cooperated in the investigation."
The boy's dad, Jesse Sr., however, has called for further investigation into the case so that if there is an adult responsible, they can be brought to justice for their actions.
Jesse said: "Welcome to America, where a 1-year-old baby can be beat, and no one is held accountable.
"America, you have no soul; our children are doomed.
"Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it. Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have."
Fox59 reported in May 2018 that after the incident, the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) closed down the daycare center.
Published 15:31 03 Apr 2019 GMT
A heroic mother has gone viral after taking on a mountain lion that threatened to kill her seven-year-old son - and succeeding.
Chelsea Bromley heard her young son Zack screaming outside their home in Lakeview Park, in Vancouver Island in Canada, and rushed to his aid to discover that the boy was being attacked by a cougar.
But while some people might be tempted to call emergency services - potentially wasting precious time in the process - her husband Kevin Bromley revealed how the mom went into full Mama Bear mode.
"She jumped it," Kevin explained to CBC, revealing that Chelsea was forced to pry the animal's jaw open in order to save her son. "I think any mom would do that. It's that selfless love."
Speaking to Global News, Kevin added: "She's beside herself. If it had been a bigger cougar, it would have been over."
"She jumped on top of this thing, but it just wouldn’t let go of Zack’s forearm so she then had to pry this cougar’s jaw open. She told me she couldn’t do it for two or three seconds but then she screamed ‘help,’ and it just let go and ran off. And there was blood everywhere."
"It hit the mesh fence [separating our house from the neighbour’s], which gave Zack enough time to bolt, but [the cougar] came through the mesh and then jumped on him," Kevin explained of the moment the cougar spotted the boy, and attacked him. Zack was airlifted to hospital following the attack, but is currently making his recovery at his favourite place - his grandmother's house.
Suffering wounds to his head, neck and arm, Zack was released from hospital last Sunday, and his dad says that the gravity of what happened has not been lost on the youngster.
"He's figured out that was pretty close to near death. He's old enough to grasp that. And that's a big pill to swallow, just to digest that mentally... When I got there I just bawled because he was just covered in blood."
Chelsea Bromley also received wounds to her arms in the attack.
Animal expert David Eyer said that news of a child getting attacked by such an animal was far from a surprising thing, and urged residents in Lakeview Park to be cautious when outside.
"Vancouver Island has more cougar attacks than anywhere else. I think for somebody living in a town like that, you need to be cautious because these generally younger cougars looking for territory do come into these areas. Everywhere else they go, the adults claim that territory."
Kevin Bromley also revealed how the community has stepped up to help out Zack following the attack, and is grateful for the outpouring of support, even receiving as much as $300 from the local pub to help the family out.
"That's the community. This is a very tight-knit community," Bromley said of his home town. In the meantime, Kevin has revealed that the family is thinking of getting a dog to ward off future predators, and hopefully keep the family safe moving forward.
Published 10:56 16 Apr 2026 GMT
The parents of the child who was approached by a woman with a knife at a Walmart store have issued a heartbreaking statement.
Speaking to reporters earlier this week about the harrowing incident, the boy's parents admitted that police helped to save their son's life.
The harrowing incident took place on Tuesday (April 14), with officers from the Omaha Police Department responding to an emergency call at 9:13 AM at the superstore in Omaha, Nebraska.
It resulted in officers fatally shooting a woman who had attacked a toddler with a knife, with Walmart issuing a statement in the aftermath.
Police reported that Noemi Guzman had abducted the young child and slashed him with a knife, after walking into the store on an otherwise regular morning.
Police say that minutes after Guzman walked in, it became a life-threatening emergency as she was armed with a kitchen knife and slashed a three-year-old boy while he was in a shopping cart.
She reportedly moved through the store before picking up a kitchen knife from one of the shelves, with CCTV footage revealing that she approached a family with a young child, identified as Cyler Hillman.
Soon after, she confronted the child's parent and forced them to move through the aisles, using the knife to threaten them as she directed the adult while the child stayed in the cart.
Witnesses admitted that when they realized what was going on, the woman was exit-bound.
After she was confronted by officers, she refused to drop the knife, resulting in her being fatally shot.
The boy would be reunited with his guardian and taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Cyler Hillman's parents said the family have been struggling to come to terms with what happened, as mom Sara said: "I think it's been rough, a lot of the what ifs of what if it could have gone a different way."
The boy's dad, Casey, admitted that if authorities "wouldn't have reacted when they did, we wouldn't still have him," adding: "And if she would have been any lower with the knife, we wouldn't have him either."
He said that it has been very "stressful" since the incident, though he noted that his son has been a "fighter" since being born premature.
The boy said he didn't want to go outside the following day as it was "scary," as Casey admitted: "That broke my heart,
"Then he asked me if I'd carry him if he went outside. 'Yeah, I ain't gonna let nothing happen to you.'"
Local police said in a press release: "Ms. Guzman was making multiple threats with the knife,
"Officers gave multiple verbal commands for Ms. Guzman to drop the knife. She refused to drop the weapon and cut the boy. The two patrol officers fired their service weapons striking Ms. Guzman."
Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer stated: "The responding officers acted with professionalism and direct action to intervene and save a child's life,
"The community can be reassured in knowing that Omaha police officers stand ready to act with courage and decisiveness in the most serious situations to protect the public."
While the incident remains under investigation, the case will be presented to a grand jury, as is required by US law when someone dies while being apprehended by law enforcement.
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