Chilling Details From Day When Little Boy Injured at MOA in Minnesota

Shocking Details Shared By Landen's Mom, the Boy Who Was Thrown Over The Balcony at MOA in Minnesota

When the news broke on April 12th, 2019, that a boy was thrown over a balcony at the Mall of America, all I could think about was the mom and that little boy.  I was just at the MOA and stood in the exact spot where the little boy was picked up.  It was hard for me to grasp that this horrifying incident actually happened at a place so familiar in Minnesota.

"But driving into that ramp I got an overwhelming like sense of something is wrong.

Pray."  - Kari Hoffman

I was at work when I heard the news about the little boy thrown off the balcony at the Mall of America and I just sat at the microphone speechless.  So many questions were rolling through my head but I know I and so many others were just praying and hoping the little boy would be ok from that fall.

Kari Hoffman, Landen's mom, recently sat down with Julie Nelson from KARE 11 for an in-depth interview.

Before you watch the video below, if you are a mom especially, you are going to need to grab some Kleenex.  I sat at my desk and was in tears and just shocked when I watched the entire video.  Details of that day are shared by Kari - the feeling that she had before she even got to the mall, how she felt driving in, and moments just before the incident that are shocking.

"(At the Rainforest Cafe entrance)...we were looking at that alligator to get opened and I was talking to that other mom and this man came up.  And he leaned over with the little boys and he was whispering to them.

And I thought, that's strange.  He must work here, but he's going to turn it on because it wasn't open yet.  So I stood next to him and I said, 'are you going to turn the alligator on?' And he just looked at me like 'no' and then kind of smiled.

 

And then I said, 'do you not want us here' because there's a big sign that said please don't step on the rock and the kids were stepping on the rock.  And he said 'Oh no, no, you're fine, you're fine.'

 

So then I stepped back and two seconds later he grabbed Landen and ran."

" - Kari Hoffman

In the interview, Kari reveals that the other child that was with Landen that day remembers what was whispered to them by the man while they were on the rocks.  It is chilling.

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The fact that all of those people were in the right place and just the exact moment they were going to be needed to help save Landen's life is nothing short of a miracle.

Kari is an amazing example for anyone going through a tragedy or loss.  And the message of forgiveness is one that I admire her for.

"I'm so thankful for breath, for life, for heartbeats.  You take those things for granted until they almost got taken away from you." - Kari Hoffman during Good Morning America interview

Landen, I hope you score a ton of goals at your next hockey game and so glad you are doing great!  You had people all over the world praying for you.  And Kari, thank you for being vulnerable and willing to share your story. I know your story will inspire others in whatever struggle they are going through.  Thank you.