Still think fake news isn’t an issue, Zuckerberg?
On Sunday, a 28-year-old North Carolina resident named Edgar M. Welch used a loaded rifle to threaten the staff and patrons at Comet Ping Pong, a pizza parlor in the Washington D.C. area.
Related: Fake Election Stories Were Shared More Than REAL News
As for why Edgar decided to assault the eatery, it all ties back to a FAKE NEWS story (known as #PizzaGate) circulating around the Internet around the time of the election.
According to the bogus #PizzaGate reports, Hillary Clinton and her former campaign chair John Podesta have been running an “elite” pedophile ring out of the eatery for years. Some conspiracy theorists have even gone on to claim there are “tunnels” underneath the restaurant to accommodate child trafficking.
Take a look at some of the FALSE claims made by trolls — and the son of Donald Trump‘s incoming security advisor (below):
DID YOU KNOW an abandoned trolly system lies beneath #CometPingPong? #PizzaGate Tunnels: Dupont Underground https://t.co/o3LS5PcfBr pic.twitter.com/ObIeimfA8t
— Grace 👻 (@FranSeenWrites) November 30, 2016
Just woke up- loosing sleep thinking this #PizzaGate thing is going on. Something has got to be done- we won’t forget those helpless kids ├░┼╕╦£┬¡
— LADIES 4 TRUMP (@ladies4trump) December 1, 2016
Until #Pizzagate proven to be false, it’ll remain a story. The left seems to forget #PodestaEmails and the many “coincidences” tied to it. https://t.co/8HA9y30Yfp
— Michael G Flynn🇺🇸 (@mflynnJR) December 5, 2016
#PizzaGate is the BIGGEST scandal of all time. This is what you NEED to know about it. Spread awareness to UNCOVER the pedophile empire! pic.twitter.com/w74OCrKtbr
— We the People🇺🇸 (@DAILY_AMERICAN) November 28, 2016
Yikes… how shameful.
Unfortunately, these disgusting allegations motivated Edgar to “self-investigate” the situation over the weekend. Apparently the gunman had THREE weapons following a search of his vehicle.
While luckily no one was hurt in the terrifying incident, Mr. Welch did fire the weapon in the store a few times before he was apprehended.
To make matters worse, the eatery’s staff has complained about receiving threats on social media for weeks. Hopefully this incident will deter further harassment of the store’s innocent employees.
It’s just one of the many examples of how fake news can grossly misinform and hurt the American public.
Stay safe, Comet Ping Pong!
[Image via Yelp.]
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