PICTURED: Gunman who stormed into DC pizzeria with an AR-15 and fired into the floor as part of his ‘investigation’ into pizza-gate fake news theory claiming that Hillary Clinton abused children inside
Edgar Maddison Welch walked into Washington D.C. pizzeria armed
The 28-year-old then fired into the floor as he looked around the venue
It is the same restaurant targeted by fake news articles during election
There were claims Hillary Clinton had abused children at the pizzeria
Welch told police he went there to investigate pizza-gate conspiracy
He is now in custody and facing weapons and assault charges
North Carolina native Welch is believed to be an out-of-work actor
Rumors claimed children were being abused in pizzeria’s hidden tunnels
Owners insist the tunnels do not exist, and insist there isn’t a basement
By EMILY CRANE
DAILYMAIL.COM
5 December 2016
A man walked into a popular pizza restaurant with an assault rifle and demanded to know the truth about a pizza-gate conspiracy theory claiming Hillary Clinton had abused children in the basement, police say.
Edgar Maddison Welch, 28, from Salisbury, North Carolina, was arrested and is now facing assault charges after he stormed into Comet Ping Pong in Washington D.C. on Sunday at about 3pm and fired multiple times – damaging walls, a door and a computer.
He was pictured walking backwards on the street with his hands on his head as police surrounded him with guns drawn. Cops said he had an AR-15 and a handgun when he was arrested in the restaurant.
Police said Welch told them he was carrying out his ‘self-investigation’ into ‘pizza-gate’ – a story widely circulated on fake news sites and forums prior to the election that claimed Clinton had run a child sex abuse ring.
According to eyewitnesses, Welch spent 45 minutes inside the pizzeria where he was said to be looking for the secret tunnels identified in the false news stories.
As a result the restaurant has been the target of numerous threats, forcing the management to bring in extra security.
Sharif Silmi, an attorney who was at the restaurant and witnessed the incident, told DailyMail.com people are now claiming he was a crisis actor who was stationed inside the venue by the government.
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