A 24-year-old man has been charged after a five-year-old boy was allegedly thrown from the third-floor balcony of a Minnesota shopping mall on Friday.
Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, who is from the Minneapolis metro area, has been charged with attempted homicide and is being held at the Bloomington Police Department.
Police were called to the Mall of America, in Bloomington, on Friday to reports a man had allegedly thrown a child from the third floor balcony.
It is not believed the man is related to the child or knows the child's family.
According to eyewitnesses a woman screamed "Oh my God, my baby, someone threw him over the edge".
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Police arrested Aranda and took him into custody.
Emergency services rushed to provide first aid to the child - who was "lying in a puddle of blood."
Bloomington Chief of Police, Jeff Potts, said the child "suffered significant injuries" and is currently being treated in hospital.
He added that witnesses told police that the person believed to have pushed the child ran off following the incident.
The area where the child fell has been cordoned off by police.
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The Mall of America issued a statement on Friday, saying: "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."
