#PizzaGate gets even scarier
The #PizzaGate story took a turn for the terrifying over the weekend, as a man with an assault rifle entered into D.C.’s Comet Ping Pong restaurant. Though no one was hurt, the man (identified by police as Edgar Maddison Welch) claimed to be “self-investigating” the conspiracy theory that has been plaguing the restaurant the past couple of weeks. The block was under lockdown Sunday following the incident, and Washingtonian reports at least one shot was fired, and the gun was pointed at an employee during the incident.
Comet staffers and neighboring businesses have been subject to threats and harassment after a baseless alt-right theory circulated that the pizza restaurant was the center of a pedophilia ring reaching up to Hillary Clinton.
The restaurant is giving its employees a day off today to recover from the incident.
Industry members and fans of the restaurant are organizing an event called Stand with Comet this coming Friday to show support for the business. [Washingtonian, YouTube, FB]
Here’s a video response from Comet owner James Alefantis following the events:
UPDATE: Washingtonian now has the police report. Police say the man arrested was carrying a semi-automatic rifle, a handgun, and a shotgun.
Everybody Cut
In an incident straight out of “Footloose,” D.C. beverage regulators had to investigate whether Policy was operating an illegal dance floor at its lounge. The verdict was no, and regulators are working to clarify laws surrounding dancing at bars and restaurants. [BiDC]
Happy Repeal Day
Today marks the end of Prohibition in America. As a result, there are parties at Jack Rose and Buffalo & Bergen. The DC Craft Bartenders Guild will celebrate with a ball this coming weekend.