By Tim Binnall
A Kentucky homeowner is understandably dismayed after a miscreant lacking in Christmas spirit shot and destroyed an inflatable Santa Claus that had been on display outside his residence. According to a local media report, the brazen act of vandalism occurred this past Sunday night in the city of Lexington where, earlier that day, Donald Nelson had placed the sizable Saint Nick in his front yard to kick off the holiday season. Mere hours later, the homeowner and his wife heard a "small bang" emanating from outside their home. When Nelson opened their front door to investigate the situation, he was chagrined to see their inflatable Santa crumpled on the ground and a subsequent check of their security camera revealed that the decoration's demise was no accident.
To Nelson's surprise, the video showed an individual driving past his house at the precise moment when a pop can be heard and the inflatable Santa falls to the ground seconds later. His suspicions were subsequently confirmed when he examined the downed decoration and discovered that it now sported an eighteen-inch hole as a result of the shooting. Noting that many of his neighbors also have inflatable characters outside their homes, Nelson has no idea why his particular Saint Nick was targeted, though he expressed hope that it was merely an isolated incident, since someone could get seriously hurt should the Grinch behind the shooting decide to go 'hunting' for more holiday decorations.