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Child 'thrown' from third floor of Mall of America, suspect in custody

Witnesses told police that the 24-year-old suspect took off running immediately after pushing the child.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — A 5-year-old child plummeted three floors Friday after being thrown from a balcony at the Mall of America, according to witnesses, and police said a 24-year-old man was in custody.

RELATED: Man held in Mall of America attack had been banned from mall before

Bloomington Police Chief Jeff Potts said police don't think there is any relationship between the man and the family of the child, who suffered "significant injuries" and was taken to a hospital.

Credit: KARE

Witnesses told police that the child may have been pushed or thrown from the mall's third level to the first floor, Potts said. He said the suspect immediately took off running but was quickly found and arrested at the mall.

A witness said a woman screamed that her child was thrown from the balcony.

Police don't have an idea about possible motive, Potts said.

"At this point we believe this is an isolated incident," Potts said. "We're actively trying to figure out why this occurred."

The 24-year-old  is being held at the Bloomington Police Department.

Tim Burke from Allina Health confirms to KARE 11 that one victim has been transported to Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis from Mall of America. 

Credit: KARE

The child's family is at the hospital but no details were immediately available about the child's condition.

Metro Transit briefly cancelled services into and out of Mall of America due to police activity.

The Mall of America has released this statement:

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.

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