NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Police said a man dressed in a full Santa Claus suit robbed a Hermitage bank Tuesday morning.

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The robbery occurred just after 10 a.m. at SunTrust Bank on Old Hickory Boulevard, just north of Lebanon Road.

The thief, described as a white male between 6 feet and 6 feet 4 inches tall, was dressed as Kris Kringle and armed with a 9-millimeter handgun, said police.

Witnesses said when two bank managers tried to get him to remove his sunglasses, that's when they said he pulled out the weapon and demanded money.

"It was a little unbelievable. He was actually jovial, which is scary. He explained that he was robbing the bank because Santa had to pay his elves," said witness Richlyn Jones.

"I was just wondering if he was going to be stupid enough to hurt somebody, but once he started getting what he wanted, I could see he was going to leave," said witness James Edwards.

The man left the bank in a gray car, possibly a Nissan Altima. It was unclear how much money was taken.

No one was hurt during the robbery. The FBI Task Force and Metro police are investigating the case.