The 5-year-old boy who was thrown off a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America is showing “real signs of recovery,” according to a post on behalf of the family.
“Our miracle child Landen is showing real signs of recovery. New test results have been positive, though he remains in intensive care with a long road ahead. Our faith in God, and our Savior Jesus, is strong and we are gaining more reason for optimism day by day. We continue our request for privacy as we focus on Landen and thank you for respecting our wishes,” part of the post on a GoFundMe page says.
Fundraiser for David Hoffmann by Noah Hanneman : Help For Landen – Mall Of America Attack Victim https://t.co/qQQicqWCIN
— Howie Carr (@HowieCarrShow) April 16, 2019
A family friend Noah Hanneman, who launched the GoFundMe page for the family, said that the boy’s recovery was “expected to be ongoing for a long time.”
“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,” Hanneman wrote.
The post says the boy has a long recovery ahead, with many surgeries.
The fundraiser breached the $900,000 mark on Friday after Hanneman raised the goal to $1 million. The money would only be available to the family of the boy, Hanneman stressed.
Emmanuel Aranda, 24, of Minneapolis, is accused of throwing the young child off the mall balcony and is charged with attempted murder.
According to a criminal complaint, the boy and his mother were outside the Rain Forest Café when Aranda came up close to them. The mother had never seen Aranda before, and she asked if she and her son should move.
Instead, Aranda picked up the boy and threw him over the railing, the complaint states.
Aranda was arrested at a nearby light rail train station. He told police officers that he’d gone to the mall, the largest in America, looking for someone to kill.
Aranda told police he had come to the mall a day earlier intending to kill an adult, but that did not “work out,” according to the complaint.
So he returned Friday and apparently chose the boy instead.
According to Aranda’s uncle, the suspect has a long history of mental problems.
Officers estimated that the boy fell approximately 39 feet before smashing onto the floor. He suffered multiple fractured bones in his arms and legs in addition to massive head trauma.
Aranda told police he knew what he was planning to do was wrong. He explained he had visited the mall for years, trying to speak to women there, but they rejected him. Aranda said that made him lash out.
Aranda appeared in court on April 16 on charges of attempted premeditated murder.
Hennepin County District Judge Jeannice Reding asked Aranda to identify himself and he “spoke in a clear voice as he spelled out his first, middle, and last names and listed his address—the site of a Minneapolis shelter,” reported the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Aranda watched as the judge discussed scheduling in the case with prosecutors and defense attorneys. When asked if he had any questions, Aranda replied, “Not at all.”
His next court appearance is scheduled for May 14. He is being held on $2 million bail.
NTD News reporter Zachary Stieber and the CNN Wire contributed to this report.