DETROIT — On Thursday, a judge said the criminal charges filed against Marcus Weldon, the 26-year-old “Santa Claus” shooter who injured two Arab American men at a Detroit gas station Dec. 21, will not be dropped and the case will go to trial. 

“We are happy with the judge’s decision and so relieved,” Yemeni American community activist Ibrahim Aljahim said. “We couldn’t sleep, because we were worried the charges would be dropped.” 

Since the two men were shot and seriously injured in late December, Weldon’s family and community members have rallied in his support and called for the charges against him to be dismissed.

According to Aljahim, several of Weldon’s supporters were in court on Thursday when 36th District Judge Michael Wagner announced the charges wouldn’t be dropped. 

“The judge said he could not base his decision on what he had seen and heard in the media, but rather what people including an officer had testified in court,” Aljahim said. “We were considering hiring a media consultant. It seems like the media’s coverage was in favor of Weldon. We’re just glad the judge was able to base his decisions on the facts.” 

Weldon’s arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 29 in Wayne County Circuit Court.

Weldon was dressed in a Santa Claus suit when he shot Saleh Rifai in the hand and Amar Aldani in the chest at a downtown Detroit gas station over a confrontation between the 29-year-old men that reportedly started over an argument about “Santa’s girlfriend, Mrs. Claus.” 

When one of the men ran to his car, Weldon reportedly feared he was going to get a gun and decided to open fire. Two officers who were off duty managed to chase Weldon, who was later arrested by a uniformed officer. 

Weldon’s defense attorney, David Cripps, said his client acted in self-defense.