Boy Plummets 40 Feet, Lands Hard

Landen Hoffman and his parents went to the Mall Of America on Friday, intent on a day of fun and shopping. It ended in a complete nightmare. Hoffman was thrown from the third story balcony to the floor, forty feet below. As tragic and foul as that sounds, the worst part is that the person who threw him over was unknown to the family.



Hoffman was assaulted and thrown off the balcony by a complete stranger. According to USAToday: “Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, 24, of Minneapolis, was arrested after the attack and has been jailed on a suspicion of attempted homicide charge. Police do not believe Aranda knew the victim or his family before the incident.”



Man is Known at the Mall

The boy is in critical condition today, with both arms and both legs broken, as well as a fractured skull. Meanwhile, the suspect is in custody, charged with attempted homicide. Despite rumors on the internet, there is no indication Aranda is Muslim or Somali. There are reports, however, of the man having a history with the Mall, one incident leading to a one year ban.



Unfortunately, the ban was lifted before the man entered the mall and threw someone’s child over the balcony. There is a GoFundMe set up for the child’s medical care. Not much else is known at this time. Updates will be added as available. Stay tuned.

