Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda has been identified as the 24-year-old Twin Cities man who has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly pushed a 5-year-old boy named “Landen” from a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America on Friday, April 12.
According to reports, police arrested Aranda around 10 a.m. local time after he allegedly pushed the five-year-old child — identified only as “Landen” — from a third-floor balcony inside the Mall of America located in Bloomington, Minnesota.
The five-year-old, who has recently “shown signs of recovery”, sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of the attack, such as head trauma and several broken bones.
At this time, authorities said that there is no apparent connection between Aranda and the victim or the victim’s family.
Police say that Aranda attacked Landen after “choosing him at random” because “he was looking to kill someone,” according to NBC News.
Additionally, the criminal complaint against Aranda says that while he had originally planned to push an adult that was standing near the third-floor railing, he ultimately decided on attacking the five-year-old instead.
According to an April 19 statement from Stephen Tillitt — an attorney for the family — Landen is “showing real signs of recovery.”
“We have good news to share with you on this good Friday [April 19]. Our miracle child is showing real signs of recovery. New test results have been positive, though he remains in intensive care with a long road ahead,” Tillitt said in a statement.
“Our faith in God and our Savior Jesus remains strong and we are gaining more reason for optimism day by day. We continue our appeal for privacy as we focus on our son, and thank you for respecting our wishes. Just know that we absolutely feel your overwhelming love, prayers and support, for they seem to be working,” the statement concludes.
Following his arrest, Aranda’s bail was set at $2 million and his hearing has been set for Tuesday, May 14.
