Edgar Welch, the man responsible for the 2016 “Pizzagate” gunfire incident in Washington, D.C., was shot and killed by police in Kannapolis, North Carolina, on January 4. Welch, who gained infamy nearly a decade ago for storming a pizzeria with an assault rifle over a baseless conspiracy theory, was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by officers.
According to the Kannapolis Police Department, officers recognized the car and Welch, who had an outstanding warrant for a felony probation violation. When approached, Welch allegedly pulled out a handgun and pointed it at an officer. Despite being instructed to drop the weapon, Welch did not comply, prompting two officers to open fire. He was transported to a hospital, where he died two days later.
Welch’s past actions thrust him into the spotlight in 2016 when he drove from North Carolina to Comet Ping Pong, a Washington, D.C., pizzeria, armed with an assault rifle. Fueled by the debunked “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory—which falsely claimed prominent Democrats and Hillary Clinton were running a child sex trafficking ring from the restaurant—Welch fired a shot into a locked closet. After finding no evidence to support the conspiracy, he peacefully surrendered.
In 2017, Welch pled guilty to charges of interstate transportation of a firearm and assault with a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced to four years in prison by now-Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The violent events surrounding “Pizzagate” traumatized the restaurant’s staff and highlighted the dangerous real-world impact of online conspiracy theories.
Welch’s death is under investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, in accordance with protocol.
Source: Switeradio.com
