Saks’ Santa Killed in Christmas Fire

If the Texas Christmas shooting doesn’t have you down enough already: Lomer Johnson, the man who played Santa Claus on Christmas Eve at Saks Fifth Avenue’s flagship Manhattan store, died early Sunday in a predawn fire in Connecticut. The fire, which took place in his daughter’s home, also killed his wife and three young granddaughters. His daughter, the advertising executive Madonna Badger, was led away from the home by firefighters as she shouted, “My whole life is in that house.” The cause of the fire is under investigation. Johnson worked gigs as Santa at Connecticut malls before auditioning this year for his dream job at Saks.