2019 Mall of America murder attempt
44°51′13″N 93°14′26″W / 44.8535°N 93.2406°W
 Interior of the Mall of America from the third floor | |
| Date | April 12, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Time | Around 10 a.m. |
| Venue | Mall of America |
| Location | Bloomington, Minnesota |
| Motive | Anger over rejection by women |
| Perpetrator | Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 1, Landen Hoffmann |
| Arrests | 1 |
| Charges | Attempted murder |
| Sentence | 19 years in prison |
On April 12, 2019, five-year-old Landen Hoffmann was tossed from the third floor at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Falling around 40 feet (12 m), the boy suffered life-threatening injuries. Emmanuel Aranda, a 24-year-old man from Minneapolis, was charged with attempted murder. In June 2019, Aranda was sentenced to 19 years in prison. The boy underwent multiple surgeries for broken bones and injured organs. He was able to return to his school in time for his first day of kindergarten that autumn.
Attack
[edit]Around 10 a.m. on April 12, 2019, a man approached five-year-old Landen Hoffmann and his mother Kari, who were standing near the Rainforest Café on the third floor of the Mall of America.[1][2] Landen's mother asked the man if they were in his way, and the man responded by picking up Landen and throwing him over the edge of the balcony.[1] He fell nearly 40 feet (12 m), suffering life-threatening injuries.[1][3] Police immediately administered first aid to the child, who was subsequently transported to the Minneapolis Children's Hospital.[4][5]
The man attempted to flee, but was caught by police trying to board a light rail train at Mall of America station. Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, a 24-year-old man from Minneapolis, told police that he was angry after being rejected by women and was planning to kill an adult standing near the balcony, but opted for the boy instead.[1][4] Security footage showed that Aranda had approached the edge of the balcony several times before walking up to Landen.[6]
Perpetrator
[edit]Aranda had a history of arrests at the mall. In 2015, he had been arrested after throwing objects from the mall's upper levels, and received a one-year trespass order. He was arrested again at the mall just a few weeks later after harassing two women and throwing items at patrons in a mall restaurant.[6] He had also been arrested several times in Illinois for assault, theft, and property damage.[7] Aranda had also been subject to court-ordered mental health treatment.[6] One day prior to the 2019 attack he visited the mall with the intention to kill an adult but was unsuccessful.[8] Following his arrest, he stated that he had often visited the mall seeking to speak to women, but their rejections of him made him lash out.[9]
Aranda was charged with attempted first-degree murder on April 15, 2019. His bail was set at $2 million.[10] One month later, Aranda pled guilty. The prosecutor's office sought the maximum punishment of 19 years in prison.[9] He received the full 19-year sentence on June 3, 2019.[11] As of 2025[update], he is incarcerated at MCF Moose Lake.[12] He is expected to be released from prison in 2031 and serve the remainder of his sentence under court supervision.[13]
Victim
[edit]Landen Hoffmann, five years old at the time of the attack, received surgeries for broken arms, a broken leg, and skull fractures; his spleen was also removed.[14] A GoFundMe page for medical costs raised more than $1 million.[1] After two weeks in critical condition, Landen was announced to be "alert and conscious" by his family.[9] Landen was released from the hospital in August, and attended his first day of kindergarten five days later.[15] By November, it was reported that he was walking without a limp.[1] Landen suffered from amnesia and does not remember the incident; the trauma to his frontal lobe also caused his personality to shift from being more shy and quiet to being more loud and impulsive.[5]
In 2021, the family filed a lawsuit against the Mall of America, citing negligence and seeking remuneration for medical costs and pain and suffering. The medical bills were alleged to be in excess of $1.75 million.[8] The family alleged that mall security was negligent in not preventing Aranda from prowling about the mall due to their knowledge of his previous violent and aggressive behavior.[14] A confidential settlement was reached with the mall in 2022.[8]
After telling Good Morning America that Alex Ovechkin was his favorite hockey player, Landen, a fan of the Minnesota Wild, was invited to meet Kirill Kaprizov and Ovechkin after a Wild game in 2023.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Padilla, Mariel (November 24, 2019). "5-Year-Old Boy Thrown From Mall of America Balcony Is Walking Again". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 12, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ Yamada, Haley (December 14, 2022). "'The miracle of Landen': Mom whose son was thrown off a balcony at Mall of America speaks out". ABC7 Los Angeles. Archived from the original on February 17, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ Sepic, Matt (April 12, 2019). "Police: Suspect arrested after child falls from MOA's 3rd floor". MPR News. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Andone, Dakin (April 12, 2019). "A man is in custody after witnesses say he threw or pushed a child from a third floor Mall of America balcony". CNN. Archived from the original on July 1, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Nelson, Julie (February 2, 2023). "Landen's story: A journey of hope and healing". KARE.
- ^ a b c Reinan, John (April 17, 2019). "Man accused in attack on 5-year-old boy at Mall of America appears in court". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ Helsel, Phil; Fieldstadt, Elisha (April 13, 2019). "Man faces attempted homicide charge in 5-year-old's fall from Mall of American balcony". NBC News. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ a b c Razek, Raja; Babineau, Andi (December 6, 2022). "Family of boy thrown from third-floor Mall of America balcony reaches settlement with the mall, attorneys say". CNN. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ a b c Alonso, Melissa; McLaughlin, Eliott (May 14, 2019). "Man pleads guilty to tossing boy, 5, over Mall of America railing". CNN. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ Madani, Doha (April 16, 2019). "Man charged in 5-year-old's Mall of America fall told police he had a plan to kill". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 16, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ Alonso, Melissa; Croft, Jay (June 3, 2019). "Man gets 19 years for throwing a boy from a balcony at Mall of America". CNN. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ "Information". Locator. MN Department of Corrections. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Walsh, Paul (March 20, 2023). "NHL stars Kirill Kaprizov, Alex Ovechkin meet boy who survived being thrown off MOA balcony". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ a b "Mall of America settles lawsuit over 5-year-old boy thrown from balcony". NBC News. Associated Press. December 6, 2022. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ Yamada, Haley (December 14, 2022). "Mom whose son was thrown off a balcony at Mall of America speaks out". ABC News. Archived from the original on April 13, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025.