The largest mall in the US agreed to crack down on trespassers as part of a settlement with the family of a boy who was thrown off a third-floor balcony by a deranged man who had been twice banned from the shopping center.
The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, announced Monday it would strengthen its security policies after 5-year-old Landen Hoffmann suffered a 40-foot fall at the hands of Emmanuel Aranda in 2019.
Aranda told investigators he had been prowling the mall “looking for someone to kill” because he was angry about being spurned by a romantic interest.
The then-24-year-old pleaded guilty to attempted murder later that year and is serving a 19-year prison sentence.
In a lawsuit filed last year, the victim’s family alleged that mall security should have prevented Aranda from committing the attack, claiming that officials knew about his record of “violent, aggressive, and erratic” behavior.
The suburban Minneapolis megaplex and the family released a joint statement about new security procedures Monday.
“Mall of America and the family have agreed to work together with a focus on safety, and already are jointly pursuing policy changes to existing trespass limits for violent criminals so as to give greater ability to preclude such persons from their premises,” the statement said.
Young Landen was severely injured in the attack, and had undergone more than 15 surgeries in 2019 on two broken arms and a broken leg, facial and skull fractures and to remove his spleen, his family said that year.
Just six months after the accident, he was “walking perfectly,” back at school and crediting “angels” for catching him from his fall and aiding in his recuperation.
“The boy’s recovery has been nothing short of miraculous and the focus remains on his health and wellbeing, which includes privacy during this time,” Monday’s statement read.
“The Mall and the family will ask that any resulting change be named in honor of the young boy.”
Neither the mall nor Landen’s family released additional information about the settlement Monday, and it was unclear how much damages were awarded. When the suit was filed, lawyers for the plaintiff said the family had incurred $1.7 million in medical expenses.
With Post wires