Gunman storms Comet Ping Pong with assault rifle
Cops arrested a 28-year-old man from North Carolina after he opened fire inside Comet Ping Pong, a Washington D.C. pizza restaurant named in a Hillary Clinton fringe theory.
Edgar Maddison Welch, of Salisbury, told police on Sunday afternoon he decided to “self-investigate” whether the so-called “Pizza Gate” conspiracy theory was true — that Clinton and her campaign chief were operating a child sex ring in the restaurant’s back room.
He stormed the restaurant — going straight for the maligned back room — while brandishing an assault rifle along Connecticut Ave NW near Fessenden St. NW around 3 p.m., police said. He pointed the gun at an employee at some point, cops said, and then fired at least one shot after patrons with children and employees scattered for safety.
No one was injured during the incident.
Officials with Metropolitan Police said two firearms were found with Welch during his surrender in the street. He now faces an assault charge in the brazen stunt inspired by the fictitious conspiracy theory spawned on Reddit.
Suspect at #cometpizza apprehended great job @DCPoliceDept pic.twitter.com/NfEdHfHh5v
— Sharif Silmi, Esq (@bayreef) December 4, 2016
It’s unclear if Welch traveled to D.C. from North Carolina with the intention of menacing the pizzeria.
In October, police investigated Welch after he struck a 13-year-old boy with his car in Salisbury. He pulled over a block away from the collision and stayed at the scene, according to the Salisbury Post. No charges were filed.
The victim said in a Facebook post he was hospitalized for a month after the crash.
Nicole Hensley, nydailynews.com
Feels like a false flag. JMO ~ Dusty Fields Smm
