The 5-year-old boy thrown from a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America this month has “zero evidence of brain damage,” the family’s pastor said.
During his Easter service, Pastor Mac Hammond told the Minneapolis, Minn., congregation the boy’s grandfather called with the good news following a brain scan, CBS Minnesota reported.
Landen Hoffmann was at the Minneapolis shopping center with his mother on April 12 when a monster “looking to kill someone” chose the youngster at random, throwing him to the ground 40 feet below.
In a statement released Tuesday, the family said the boy remained in intensive care “under sedation and close monitoring” and thanked well-wishers for their support.
Hammond called his recovery “truly a miracle”.
Authorities nabbed Emmanuel Aranda, 24, for the heinous attack and charged him with attempted first-degree murder.
Aranda told cops he went to the mall on Thursday intending to kill an adult but returned on Friday and chose the boy instead, MPR News reported.
The victim was rushed to the hospital with head trauma and multiple broken bones. He appears to have escaped without brain damage or spinal cord injuries.
Landen’s mother said they were standing outside a cafe on the mall’s third floor when Aranda, whom she’d never seen before, approached them, picked up the boy, and threw him over the railing.
Cops said Aranda pushed aside a waitress who tried to stop him and ran before they caught him at a light-rail station outside the mall.
An online fundraiser to help the boy’s family cover his medical bills had raised close to $1 million.
The GoFundMe page established by family friend Noah Hanneman describes Landen as a sweet boy who enjoys playing hockey with his brother and sister.
“Landen has a very long road to recovery ahead of him. He suffered life-threatening injuries, many people who fall from that distance aren’t as lucky to make it,” Hanneman wrote.
“He has many surgeries ahead in his life to try to get back to a normal life for a young, vibrant boy.
“The family doesn’t know [Aranda] and are completely clueless as to why this monster would target their family with this heinous act of violence.”
The accused Chicago man has a history of violence. According to the Chicago Tribune, he previously attacked a man at a Golden Nugget restaurant, cracking a plate over his head and threatening him with a knife.
His bail has been set at $2 million and an omnibus hearing is set for May 14.