A not-so-merry incident took place yesterday morning at a Detroit gas station, culminating in a guy dressed as Santa allegedly shooting two other guys. It all started around 2am when, "apparently, there was an argument over Santa's girlfriend—Mrs. Claus," one officer explains. "One of the victims ran back to his car, and the guy dressed as Santa Claus must've thought he was going to get a gun because he started shooting." Both 29-year-old victims are expected to recover; the 26-year-old suspect was chased for several blocks by two off-duty officers who happened to be nearby. He was eventually arrested and is facing charges, the Detroit News reports.
In another example of unhappy holidays, a man dressed as an elf was found passed out drunk in a car in the parking lot of a Target in Riverdale, NJ, around 3:30am Friday, NJ.com reports. Callers had complained about a suspicious van, and officers found it near the loading dock with engine, lights, and loud music all turned on. Brian Chellis, 23, was allegedly passed out behind the wheel dressed as an Elf on the Shelf, and officers who woke him up say they smelled alcohol on his breath, found an open beer inside the vehicle, and noticed that he seemed confused about where he was. He faces charges of driving while intoxicated, careless driving, and possession of an open container in a car. (More Santa Claus stories.)