The young boy who survived the fall from a third-story balcony at a Minnesota mall earlier this month is “showing real signs of recovery,” according to his family.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, 5-year-old Landen Hoffman was thrown from the ledge to the floor about 40 feet below by an apparent stranger at the Mall of America in Minneapolis on April 12.
Police subsequently arrested 24-year-old Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda on suspicion of attempted premeditated murder in the first degree.
According to Fox News, Hoffman remained hospitalized in the intensive care unit as of the latest updates available. He suffered a number of broken bones and head trauma with “a long road ahead” in his convalescence.
An online fundraiser has collected nearly $1 million for his family, as KFGO reported.
“New test results have been positive, though he remains in intensive care with a long road ahead,” the GoFundMe account said. “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. Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts.”
Aranda reportedly had a history of inappropriate conduct at the mall and said he was “looking for someone to kill” on the day he allegedly threw the child over the balcony.
[Feature Photo: Landen Hoffman/Handout]
