A FIVE-year-old boy has been seriously injured after a stranger allegedly threw him from the third floor of a shopping centre in front of his screaming mum today.

The child plunged to the floor at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, US, as his mum screamed: “Oh my God, my baby, someone threw him over the edge.”

4 A boy has been seriously injured after a stranger allegedly threw him from the third floor of a shopping centre Credit: WCCO

4 Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, 24, was chased down and arrested after the terrifying incident Credit: AP:Associated Press

Suspect Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, 24, was chased down in the mall and was taken into custody on a possible attempted homicide charge.

Cops do not believe there is any relationship between the man and the child or the child's family.

Witnesses told police the suspect “took off running immediately after the incident” which took place at around 10am (local time).

One shopper told how he saw the child's mum screaming as the little boy was hurled over the balcony ledge.

“She was screaming ‘Everyone pray, everyone pray. Oh my God, my baby, someone threw him over the edge,’” Brian Johnson told WCCO.

Tina Hailey said she was walking past the Macy’s on the first floor when she saw the mum uncontrollably wailing.

“I won’t forget it. It was horrific,” Hailey told Star Tribune. “I hope he survived.”

Traumatised shoppers reported seeing the little boy “lying motionless in a pool of blood” as medics frantically performed CPR.

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Detectives are looking at CCTV from inside the mall.

“We’re actively trying to figure out why this occurred,” Bloomington Chief of Police Jeff Potts said at a press conference.

“At this time, we do not believe that there is a relationship between the child or the family of the child.”

Court records show Aranda was charged in two previous incidents at the mall.

4 Traumatised shoppers reported seeing the little boy “lying motionless in a pool of blood” as medics frantically performed CPR Credit: CBS

4 Cops do not believe there is any relationship between the man and the child or the child's family Credit: CBS