BLOOMINGTON - For nearly two months, their names remained anonymous and their stories went largely untold.
As the nation rallied around 5-year-old Landen, the boy thrown from the third floor of Mall of America in April, few people knew the lengths first responders and regular bystanders went to save his life that morning.
That changed Thursday night.
At a ceremony inside a hotel conference room, located about five miles away from the mall, the city of Bloomington publicly recognized the helpers who kept Landen alive and led police to the suspect. The few dozen people, honored alongside others who helped save lives in separate Bloomington incidents over the past year, earned medals and shook hands with police in front of a crowd of a few hundred.
The world finally learned what they did back on April 12.
In the moments after Emmanuel Aranda tossed Landen over the balcony, 25 people called 911. A shopper rushed to Landen's side; two nurses then arrived and began CPR as they anticipated paramedics. A crew from the Bloomington Fire Department carried Landen on a stretcher into the ambulance as the Bloomington Police Department and mall security officers processed the scene.
Fire Captain Brent Carlson, responding to the call from just a few blocks away, was among the first responders to earn recognition from Bloomington for his efforts.
"I was just doing my job. My crew and I, we were just doing what we are trained to do," Carlson said. "You take care of the problem, and then once the call is over, it kind of hits you what it was."
Another hero of the morning was Lashone Caldwell, who works at Lids on the third floor at Mall of America.
She saw it all from her store window. Everything, she said.
"I don't think I can really put into words," she said, "just... the feeling. It was more so of, 'what just happened? And what could I do?'"
Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Caldwell sprinted to the first floor of the mall and located an officer. She then offered police a description of the suspect, allowing them to quickly catch 24-year-old Emmanuel Aranda after he ran away from the scene (Another witness had slowed Aranda by trying to throw a punch at him).
Caldwell's positive identification of Aranda played an extremely important role in his arrest and the ensuing court case — Arranda later pleaded guilty and will now spend 19 years in prison.
"The entire time, my concern was for Landen," Caldwell said. "I have a five-year-old godson. It was a personal experience for me. It happened, and I would have wanted someone to do the same."
Landen's family members did not attend Thursday night's ceremony in Bloomington, but their spokesperson told KARE 11 they plan to privately thank all the helpers for saving their 5-year-old boy that morning.
Landen is still in the hospital, but he's no longer in critical condition.
The family hopes to see him released sometime this month.
"It is amazing. It's just remarkable how well he is doing," said Capt. Carlson, who has followed Landen's progress over the past few months. "It's great to see him out of the ICU and hopefully going home soon."
