Authorities in New Hampshire are searching for the Grinch responsible for shooting at a couple’s Christmas-inspired yard inflatables after a beloved gingerbread man was left with a hole in its head.
“Several Christmas inflatable displays were shot at with a firearm,” around 1 a.m. Tuesday, in what police say may have been a drive-by shooting, police in Bow, a small town near Concord, New Hampshire’s capital, wrote on Facebook.
“I heard the shots and then woke up my husband, and there was a second set of shots,” homeowner Alicia Paul told WCVB.
The couple said they were confused by the noise and ended up going back to bed. The next morning, neighbors said they also heard gunshots – and the Pauls found shell casings on the ground.
“It wasn’t just the one, it was two snowmen, and the gingerbread has a hole through its head,” she said.
The couple had 28 festive inflatables on display in their yard, which they said were meant to bring joy to the community during the holiday season.
“It’s sad. The inflatables have been out for many years, and they’re supposed to bring joy for the season, and this kind of feels like it’s tainted that,” Alicia Paul said.
Police said they believed the shots were fired from the roadway, suggesting to investigators that the alleged perpetrator or perpetrators were either inside a vehicle or standing in the street.
“This act of vandalism is not only destructive to private property but, more importantly, poses a serious and reckless danger to the residents of this neighborhood,” police wrote online.
Charges of criminal mischief and reckless conduct involving a firearm could potentially be filed if a suspect or suspects are arrested, police added.
No one was injured in the shooting.
“Obviously, it’s a stupid thing that someone did. It’s immature, it’s not great, and if they get caught, it would ruin their right to have that rifle or pistol or whatever it was,” homeowner David Paul told the outlet.
Police have increased patrols in the neighborhood and are asking anyone in the area with home security cameras to share any footage they may have from that night.
“They are hoping that people will call in tips. Somebody might brag about doing it, and hopefully, if it’s a young kid, they need to learn that it’s not safe,” Alicia Paul said.
Police Chief Kenneth Miller said they were “fortunate” no one was injured in the shooting.
“Discharging a firearm in a residential area, potentially from a vehicle, demonstrates a shocking disregard for the safety of our community,” Miller said.
