A man who previously made headlines for firing a weapon in a Washington D.C. establishment because of a false online conspiracy theory known as “Pizzagate” was killed during a traffic stop in North Carolina over the weekend.
Edgar Maddison Welch was identified as a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over by police in Kannapolis on Saturday evening, as outlined in a news release from the Kannapolis Police Department. One officer recognized the SUV, having seen it operated by Welch previously. He was aware that Welch had an outstanding felony probation violation warrant, as the officer had arrested him in the past.
As officers approached the vehicle to apprehend Welch, they reported that he brandished a handgun, pointing it at one of the officers. When commanded to relinquish the weapon, Welch failed to comply, prompting two officers to discharge their firearms, striking Welch, according to authorities.
Emergency services transported Welch to a hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries two days later. Fortunately, none of the officers involved, nor the vehicle’s driver and another passenger, sustained any injuries during the incident.
Back in 2016, Welch drove from North Carolina to the Comet Ping Pong restaurant in Washington D.C., armed with an assault rifle. He acted on the unfounded online theory suggesting that influential Democrats operated a child sex trafficking ring from the restaurant. The rumor, known as “Pizzagate,” gained traction amid the 2016 presidential election.
Upon entering the restaurant, Welch brandished his weapon, causing patrons to flee in fear. He fired shots at a locked closet before realizing his assumptions were incorrect and eventually surrendered without incident. Fortunately, no one was harmed in the encounter.
James Alefantis, the owner of Comet Ping Pong, expressed the emotional toll the conspiracy theory and the related violence had on both him and his staff at the time.
Welch later admitted guilt to charges of interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition, as well as assault with a dangerous weapon in 2017. The presiding judge, now Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, sentenced him to a four-year prison term.
Annette Privette Keller, the communications director for the city of Kannapolis, confirmed that the deceased individual was indeed the same person associated with the “Pizzagate” incident.
The shooting involving Welch, who resided in Salisbury, is currently being investigated by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the officers who shot him have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the review, in accordance with departmental protocols.
