Gift giving is in season and while many are excited to give and receive, not everyone is exactly feeling the holiday spirit.
A man dressed as Santa Claus was shot by a pellet gun in Washington Tuesday afternoon while giving out presents to less fortunate children. The man, who was later on identified as Xavier Hawkins howled in pain when he felt the pellet hit his back.
According to CNN, Hawkins was in the middle of his rounds giving away gifts to over 800 children when the incident occurred. "Somebody just shot me! My back! Someone shot me with a pellet gun," Hawkins was heard in the video recorded by CNN affiliate WJLA.
The 50-year old Santa was just about to hand out a present and say 'Merry Christmas' but couldn't finish the sentence after hearing a popping sound and feeling a sharp pain on his back.
During the filming and after being shot, Hawkins insisted on finishing his rounds but paramedics were on the scene and urged the man to go the hospital. He was later on released after discovering his injury wasn't serious.
In an interview, Hawkins relays that he heard three or more poping sounds and was worried that others could've gotten hurt. He tells CNN, "I just thank God that I'm alive. I'm very grateful no one else got hit, especially the kids." During the time 'Santa' was sent to the hospital, the video shows another person dressed as 'Grinch' continuing the gift giving.
The CNN affiliate further reported that Hawkins has already forgiven his attacker and would still participate in the giveaway next year.
The people were on their 22nd year of gift giving, which started by Barry Farm in 1943. The Maryland Eastern Shore company aims to help neighborhoods, especially those that have considerably high crime rates.
Bud Morissette, the current president of the Interstate says, "I think it was a juvenile doing a juvenile type of thing."
As to who actually did it, the DC police hasn't made any arrests but speculate that the shot could've come from one of the apartments lining Stevens Road.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
