7 Feet could do some serious damage to and adult, much less a child.
Since it was not scared off by all the noise and stuff, it must have been used to humans nearby.
Was probably thinking they would feed it..................
Normally in the USA there are only indigenous crocodiles at the tip of Florida. There are from time to time reports of gators, and now a croc, in northern waters and they often turn out to be pets that got too big for their aquaria and were “freed” in streams or storm sewers.