24-year-old Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda is being accused of tossing a 5-year-old boy from the third floor at Mall of America in Minnesota on Friday.
He has been charged with attempted homicide.
via NYDN:
He was taken into custody in the transit station at the Mall of America and is being held at the Bloomington Police Department, according to a press release.
Aranda is from the Minneapolis metro area, police said.
Police responded to the scene just after 10 a.m. where they gave the child CPR until emergency services arrived.
Minneapolis resident Brian Johnson was at the mall when it happened. He told the Daily News he didn’t see the child fall, but walked up shortly after to see the him lying “motionless” in a “pool of blood.”
Bloomington Police Chief Jeff Potts said the child suffered “significant injuries.” The child was taken to the Children’s Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis where Potts said the mother had joined them during a press conference Friday afternoon.
Police said there was no link between the suspect and the child or family, saying it was an “isolated incident.”
The Mall of America shared the following statement with The News on Friday evening:
“This was a senseless act and words cannot truly express our profound shock and sadness. Our immediate and only concern is for the wellbeing of the family and the child, as well as for any individuals who may have witnessed the incident. We have counseling services available for anyone who may need assistance. We know that this is a concerning event for all of us. As the Bloomington Police Department continues to investigate how and why this isolated incident happened, we will provide our full cooperation.”
Bloomington Police, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Crime Lab and the Metro Transit Police are still investigating the incident.
We don’t even know what kind of monster could fathom such an act.
