BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — A 5-year-old boy who suffered serious head injuries, as well as broken arms and legs, when a stranger flung him from a third floor balcony at the Mall of America earlier this month shows no sign of brain swelling or permanent damage, the family's pastor said during an Easter Sunday sermon. Landen Hoffman was shopping with his mother and friends around 10:15 a.m. April 12 when Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, 24, of Minneapolis, is accused of picking the boy up and hurling him over a railing to the first floor nearly 40 feet below. Aranda tried to run, but police, with help from witnesses, found him on a light rail train at the mall and took him into custody. I have a 5 year old son & live just minutes from the #MallofAmerica. My heart breaks for this family, and this sweet boy Landon. What the mother had to witness, I can’t imagine. Evil is real. #MOA #PrayersforLandon pic.twitter.com/C0kyurZqg5 — Bobby Baseball ⚾️ (@bobby_baseball) April 13, 2019 Aranda, who is charged with attempted premeditated first-degree murder, is being held in the Hennepin County Jail in lieu of $2 million bond. Pastor Mac Hammond of Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park told his congregation Sunday that he and his wife, Lynne, visited with the family earlier in the week. Landen, his parents and his grandparents are longtime members of the church. Hammond said he and his wife went to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis to have communion with the family and to anoint Landen with oil. "They asked us to come right before he was to have a five-hour MRI session to determine the full extent of the damage that his body suffered," Hammond said during the sermon, a portion of which was posted on the church's Facebook page. "It was a miracle he wasn't killed." We have some GREAT news about Landen! Our God is a miracle-working God! Please continue to pray for Landen and his family, every single prayer is important! #PrayForLanden Posted by Living Word Christian Center on Monday, April 22, 2019 Hammond said Landen’s grandfather called him later the afternoon of the test to tell him the MRI “was a testimony in itself.” As congregants began to cheer, Hammond told them to let him finish before they gave the Lord a “shout-out.” "There was zero evidence of brain damage," Hammond said. "Not just brain damage, there wasn't even any swelling in the brain. No spinal cord injury. No nerve damage. No internal injuries that were life-threatening." Hammond said Landen did suffer small amounts of internal bleeding and broke many bones. Doctors had to work on the boy’s nose and cheekbones the day after the attack, the pastor said. "The doctors were amazed at how everything just kind of fell back in place," Hammond said. "One of his attending physicians said this: 'This is truly a miracle.' This is him speaking: 'This is truly a miracle. It's like he fell off a bicycle instead of off the third floor of the mall.'" Landen, who is described on a GoFundMe page set up to help pay his medical bills as the "sweetest, kindest 5-year-old you will ever meet," had gone to the mall with his mom to meet up with a friend and that boy's mother for a play date. It was there that the group encountered Aranda, who Hennepin County court records indicate had gone to the mall looking for someone to kill. According to a criminal complaint, Aranda told authorities he initially went to the mall April 11 looking for an adult to kill, but it "didn't work out." He went back the next day. “He said he planned to kill an adult because they usually stand near the balcony, but he chose the victim instead,” the document reads. Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, inset, is accused of picking up Landen Hoffman, 5, and hurling the boy over a third-floor railing to the first floor at the Mall of America. Photo: Bloomington Police Department Aranda told investigators he chose to kill out of frustration over years of rejection from the opposite sex. "Defendant 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," the complaint says. "The rejection caused him to lash out and be aggressive." Surveillance camera footage from the mall shows Aranda walking on the third floor of the mall and looking over the balcony several times before approaching Landen and his mother. Landen’s mother told detectives she saw Aranda approach and stand very close to her and her son. She asked if he needed them to move. "Without warning, defendant picked up the victim and threw him off the third floor balcony in front of (Landen's mother) and several other witnesses, including children," the complaint states. Read the criminal complaint against Emmanuel Aranda below. Witnesses told the Minneapolis Star Tribune they heard screaming after the boy went over the railing. "Oh my God! Pray for my son!" Landen's mother begged, witnesses told the newspaper. An update on Landen's GoFundMe page, which is nearing its $1 million goal, called him his family's "miracle child." "New test results have been positive, though he remains in intensive care with a long road ahead," the page reads. "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. Just know that we all feel your overwhelming love, prayers and support. He is answering our prayers and they ARE working." The page describes Landen as full of energy and life. "His soul is soft and gentle and instantly brings a smile to everybody he meets," the page says. He enjoys soccer, playing with friends and family and playing hockey with his brother and sister, the page reads. Cox Media Group<doc-sep>The five-year-old boy thrown about 40 feet from a Mall of America balcony Friday is still alive and fighting for his life, Bloomington Police Chief Jeff Potts said at a news conference noon Saturday. “I know there’s been some reports and some concerns about whether or not he is still alive,” Potts said. “He is still receiving care. We just want to acknowledge that this is a horrific situation. The family and this child are in our thoughts and prayers.” The incident happened about 10:15 a.m. in the southeast corner of the mall. Police said Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, 24, picked the boy at random and threw him over the third-story balcony. Police still do not believe there was any connection between the family and Aranda. Potts said one witness ran after Aranda as he fled the scene and tried to stop him. “We’re very appreciative of his effort to try to intervene and help out,” Potts said. Mall of America security tracked his location using cameras in the mall, allowing Bloomington police to apprehend him in the mall’s transit station. He is being held at Hennepin County Jail pending charges of attempted homicide. Potts confirmed that there is video that occurred during the incident, but said it will not be released until the investigation is complete. The boy was taken to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis with serious injuries. Police are not releasing his name. A Gofundme page has been set up by Noah Hanneman, who says he is a friend of the family. Hanneman identified the boy as “Landon” and described him as “the sweetest, kindest five-year-old you will ever meet.” Hanneman said his wife and Landon’s mother are long-time friends. “Their family is always so generous to others,” he wrote. “They give without expecting anything in return and are the type of family you always hope to live next door.” He reiterated that the family did not know Aranda and said they “are completely clueless as to why this monster would target their family with this heinous act of violence.” Hanneman said the boy suffered life-threatening injuries. “He has many surgeries ahead in his life to try to get back to a normal life for a young, vibrant boy,” Hanneman wrote. Aranda has been involved in incidents before at the Mall of America, one resulting in an arrest, Potts said. In one incident, he was accused of throwing things off the upper level of the mall. In another, he allegedly threw a glass at a woman at a mall restaurant. In total, Aranda had contact with the Bloomington Police Department three times in 2015 and has been arrested in other jurisdictions. Potts said the Mall of America will often give a no-trespass order to offenders, with a time limit appropriate to the crime. Most no-trespass orders are in six-month or one-year increments. Related Articles More than $540,000 – and counting – raised for boy who was thrown off Mall of America balcony Aranda had been given a no-trespass order in 2015, but it had expired. He believes this most recent incident is isolated and said the Mall of America continues to be a very safe place to go. Potts said the department will focus on preparing its submission for formal charges at the Hennepin County Attorney’s office and anticipates charges will be made Monday. He asked the public to keep the boy’s family and first responders in their thoughts and prayers. “This is a tough one,” he said. “Immediately my thoughts were, ‘How can something like this happen?’ When it’s involving a young child like that, it’s pretty gut-wrenching for everyone involved.”<doc-sep>A five-year-old boy who was thrown from a balcony at the Mall of America two weeks ago is no longer in critical condition. The hopeful news came on Friday through a statement shared by the boy's family's attorney, Stephen Tillitt. "We are so elated to let you know that our son is now alert and conscious and is no longer in critical condition!" read the statement. "We are now turning our focus to additional surgeries, healing, rehabilitation and eventually a return home, which we hope will happen by June." The boy, identified only as Landon, was thrown down almost 40 feet from a third floor balcony at the famous mall in Minnesota on April 12 by Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda. Aranda, 24, told authorities that he had come to the mall looking to kill someone. He had apparently been looking to kill an adult, but chose the boy instead. Aranda has been charged with attempted murder and is being held in lieu of $2 million bail. Aranda's unthinkable act was brought on by feelings of rejection after trying to talk to women at the mall and not getting the responses he wanted. Aranda had been previously banned from the Mall of America for other incidents there. He is due in court again on May 14. While Landon suffered broken bones and head trauma from the fall, he did not sustain extensive brain damage. And although his road to recovery may be long, his family is rejoicing that he is conscious and no longer in critical condition. A GoFundMe page for Landon has drawn support from over 28,000 contributors around the world and raised more than $1 million. "Your love and generosity overwhelms and means so much to us!" Landon's family said in the statement. The family went on to ask for continued support and respect for their privacy as they try to help their son through this shocking ordeal. "Please keep praying for our son and may our loving God bless you and everyone you love," they said.<doc-sep>
A 5-year-old boy thrown from the third floor of the Mall of America in Minnesota two weeks ago is alert and conscious and no longer in critical condition, his family said Friday. "All praise, glory and honor to Jesus! He saved our son’s life and is healing him in the most miraculous ways,” the family of the boy, identified only as Landon, said in a statement released by their attorney, Stephen Tillitt. The statement says "our son is now alert and conscious and is no longer in critical condition." Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, 24, has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly throwing Landon over the railing April 12. He was arrested a short time later, according to a criminal complaint. Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda. Bloomington Police Department Aranda admitted to throwing the boy from the third floor and was looking to kill someone, according to the criminal complaint. He had planned on killing an adult, but chose the boy instead, the document said. Landon's family said they were “astounded” that over 28,000 donors from around the world contributed to his GoFundMe page. "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 family said. They said they hoped Landon would be able to go home from the hospital by June. "The road to recovery remains long, but with God and you, we are assured to make it through,” the family said. The boy landed on the first floor, falling about 39 feet, authorities said in the criminal complaint. Aranda had been temporarily banned from the mall for previous incidents there, the Associated Press reported. Aranda "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," the criminal complaint said. A message left with Aranda’s public defender was not immediately returned late Friday afternoon. Aranda is being held in lieu of $2 million bail, according to jail records. He has not yet formally entered a plea, and his next court date is scheduled for May 14, a spokesman for the Hennepin County Attorney's office said. The Mall of America in Bloomington, south of Minneapolis, has around 40 million visitors every year, the mall says on its website.