The National Rifle Association and a mall in Illinois stepped in for a boy who was left in tears after a mall Santa told him he couldn't have a Nerf gun for Christmas.
According to USA Today, the Dec. 6 exchange between the mall Santa at the Harlem Irving Plaza in Norridge, Illinois, and Sabella DeCarlo's son Michael went viral last week.
In the video, Michael burst into tears after being told no several times by the mall Santa when he asked for a Nerf gun for Christmas, USA Today reported.
In an interview with Fox News, Sabella told the network she was shocked by Santa's response, thinking he may have misheard her son, and then thought it was a joke.
But Santa's response was still no.
After hearing about what had happened, officials with the Harlem Irving Plaza sent a Santa out to Michael's home to gift him with a Nerf gun.
In a Facebook post, the mall and the third-party Santa company were "distraught and deeply apologetic" about what transpired between Michael and the Santa and wanted to make sure Michael wasn't sad.
"We are happy to report that the "real" Santa visited the boy at his home today to bring him a nerf gun! We hope we restored Christmas magic to this boy and his family with Santa's special visit," the mall wrote in a Facebook post.
The NRA also sent out several Santas to the DeCarlo's home to gift Michael with Nerf guns and make sure this was the child's best Christmas ever.
Mall Santa didn’t want to give Michael a Nerf gun for Christmas and made him cry.
— NRA (@NRA) December 14, 2020
The @NRA made it our mission to fix this and make Michael’s Christmas the best EVER. pic.twitter.com/wpGAzcpqAs
According to USA Today, the makers of the toy Hasbro, also sent the boy Nerf guns.
Mall officials stated on Facebook that the mall Santa turned in his resignation.