A guy dressed in a Santa costume stood on the fourth level balcony of the rotunda at the Mall of America and offered a holiday surprise to shoppers below. The man, accompanied by a woman, little girl, and cameraman, brought with them a bag of one dollar bills to drop in an effort to spread a little Christmas cheer.

Tyler Ketz, the man in the Santa costume said "it's better to give than receive" before he and his accomplices grabbed handfuls of money from the bag and dropped them to unsuspecting shoppers below. As soon as people realized money was falling, a crowd gathered to collect a share of the cash.

Ketz told FOX 9 that he felt motivated to spread some love and cheer after having some good fortune of his own. He explained that he just became a father for the first time, and he also just recently won $6,000 on a slot machine. While he admitted to FOX 9 that there are plenty of other ways to give away the money, he wanted complete strangers to share in his joy, and he picked the mall because he says it is a place 'filled with joy'.

While the crowd below might have been feeling the love, officials from the Mall of America weren't as happy about his gesture. Mall security quickly escorted him off the property and informed him he wasn't allowed to return for 24 hours. While mall officials were concerned about the possibility of the stunt starting a stampede, they said they don't plan to press any charges.

In a statement, mall officials say they "welcome acts of kindness every day - especially during the holiday season." The went on to explain that the gesture "created an unsafe environment for our guests - many of whom began reaching over the railings to grab the money being thrown into the space. The safety and security of our guests has and always will be our top priority."

 

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