Man Dressed as Santa Shot With Pellet Gun in Southeast DC

A man dressed as Santa Claus was shot with a pellet gun in Southeast DC while participating in a toy giveaway, police said. The Santa, whose real name was not released, was taken to a local hospital, although he reportedly wanted to continue giving out early Christmas presents to children in the Barry Farm neighborhood.

The man dressed as Santa appeared to be struck twice in the back, according to video taken by WJLA, which first reported the bizzare Christmas Eve incident. “Ahh!” the man shouted as he winced in pain. “Somebody shot me.”

The shots pierced the Santa’s back just as he attempted to chortle out a “Merry Christmas” greeting. Moments earlier, he said the toy drive was “awesome.”

No arrests have been made in the Santa shooting, and the Metropolitan Police Department is asking for anyone with information about the incident to call 202-727-9099. Santa is expected to make a full recovery.

And although Santa had to leave the toy giveaway, it resulted in a moment of comity by traditional Christmas enemies. Another participant, dressed as the Grinch, stepped in.