Minnesota Boy Thrives After Near-Fatal Mall Attack Six Years Ago

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Landen Hoffmann, the boy who survived a near-fatal fall at a mall six years ago, is now thriving, according to his mother. The 11-year-old endured emergency surgery and years of rehabilitation after a deranged attacker threw him off a balcony in 2019.

When he was just 5 years old, Landen was struck by Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, who claimed he was looking for someone to kill. The boy plummeted nearly 40 feet, sustaining serious injuries including a broken skull, facial bones, both arms, and a leg.

“It was a big, long journey,” said Kari Hoffmann, Landen’s mother. “So many miracles happened.” The recovery process was extensive; Landen spent four months in intensive care, underwent more than a dozen surgeries, and faced years of physical rehabilitation due to an injury to his frontal lobe.

Kari observed significant changes in Landen’s personality throughout the recovery. “He went from being sweet to angry before he found his happy self again. It took time for him to be back to him… He had to learn who he was again,” she explained.

Remarkably, Landen has no memory of the fall. Recently, the pair returned to the hospital where he was treated to express their gratitude. They presented the nurses with annotated copies of a book Kari penned about their experience titled “Miracle at the Mall.”

The incident that changed their lives forever occurred in April 2019 as Kari took Landen and a friend to a parent-teacher conference. Moments before the attack, she noticed Aranda speaking to the boys.

Aranda, now 24, was sentenced to 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder. His actions that day left a lasting impact on Landen and his family, who have worked tirelessly to support his healing journey.