Mom thanks stranger who saved son during Christiana Mall shooting
Zykia Anderson became separated from her son during the chaos, but a stranger managed to save the child.
NEWARK, Delaware (WPVI) -- A Delaware mom is thanking the stranger who saved her son's life during the shooting at Christiana Mall on Saturday night.
Zykia Anderson says she was in the mall's food court with her four children. When the shooting happened, her 9-year-old son, Zai'lyn, started running and got separated from her.
Zai'lyn says he fell down and may have been trampled if Omar Araujo hadn't scooped him up.
Araujo started recording while he was running from the shooting. He posted it on TikTok under @FantasticFloorsde.
"There's a shootout right now at Christiana Mall. There were about six or seven shots. Everyone started running. We were in the food court," he narrates.
He says he initially thought he saw a backpack on the ground.
"My first reaction was to put my arm down and pick it up, and when I picked him up, it was a kid," he said.
That kid was Zai'lyn.
"I fell. I fell and I kept falling down because people were running out and stuff," the boy said.
The fear that surged through him when he heard the shots amplified when he couldn't find his mom.
"All types of thoughts were going through my head. I was shocked, I was ready to cry, I was ready to break down, but still try to stay strong for the rest of my kids," said Zykia.
Araujo took Zai'lyn outside to safety and reunited the family of five.
"I picked him up. It's okay, it's okay. You guys got everybody?" Araujo says in the video.
Four days later, the Andersons reunited with their hero. They gave him flowers, a cake, and a card, calling him a superhero.
"Nice, my flowers in real life," Araujo joked.
"I just really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart and I really appreciate you for everything you did - saving my son's life," Zykia said.
A thank you for the hero who, in the midst of an active shooting, chose kindness and humanity.
Zykia added that during the shooting, her family lost phones, food they had bought, and presents. But she's okay with that because she still has her son.
"Thank you. Thank God for you," Zai'lyn's grandma, Tanya, said to Araujo.
Three people suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting.
Police are still looking for three suspects in connection with the gunfire.
