It could not be confirmed if the show was moved for safety reasons or if any other shows are being moved. After shutting down the Wi-fi server and adding a security guard before the gunman walked through the doors, the restaurant has since moved a show featuring the bands Eskimeaux, Japanese Breakfast and Keeper to Rock and Roll Hotel. James Alefantis, the co-founder and owner of Comet Ping Pong, has since upped security. Shortly after he entered the kitchen and fired at least one round, an employee contacted the police, and Welch’s attempt to “self-investigate” came to a halt before anyone was injured. The next day, Edgar Welch, 26, of North Carolina, walked into the pizza parlor and concert venue carrying a rifle, pistol and handgun to see if the claims of child cruelty spread by online conspiracy theorists on websites like 4chan and Reddit were true. We just wanted to say thank you, forever,” drummer Claire Lewis said. A “caller unavailable” ID reminded the staff of the people from all corners of the globe accusing them of involvement in a child trafficking sex ring – false accusations that grew out of conspiracy theories in hacked emails.Īfter the regular diners left and music lovers took to their barstool perches in the dark, only the opening band, Nox, made a passing comment about the events of the past month and their continued support of the venue. Still, the shrill ringtone of the landline phone cut through the din of friendly chatter and the clinking of glasses with some frequency. Hopefully someday the bubble will burst, but for now, the dangers posed by this particular theory don't seem to be over.Less than 24 hours before a gunman would walk into Comet Ping Pong, there were no empty chairs in the restaurant, except the ones vacated by children who were squeezing in a game of ping pong before their dinners.Ī banner reading “We stand with Comet,” signed with hundreds of names, was the only sign that Comet Ping Pong is anything other than a kooky, hipster haunt. In simple terms, when someone gets an idea like this into their head, it can be almost impossible to convince them otherwise, assuming they're professing it in good faith. This shouldn't come as much surprise like 9/11 and Sandy Hook truthers before them, "false flag" is one of the reliable rallying cries of the conspiratorial far-right, and sometimes the far-left, too. But that's the grisly reality with theories like these - nothing is exonerating, and everything is indicting.įor instance, many of the trolls now claim the gunman who entered Comet Ping Pong, hoping to find sex-trafficked children inside to confirm the theory, is actually an actor involved in a false-flag event - a development that must be quite a mind trip for the guy. to start behaving responsibly, as there are plenty of Pizzagate-obsessed Twitter trolls who've now concluded Tapper must be in on it, too. Tapper, even if he didn't actually send the messages, has already paid a price for the alleged candor and personal plea to Michael Jr. Michael Jr.'s response, that he "hit a nerve," was also tweeted at Jones himself, along with one of his conspiracy website's editors. Needless to say, if you're not a conspiracy theorist of the Alex Jones bent, it's Tapper's reported messages that shine through here. continued pushing the Pizzagate falsehoods hours after the incident at Comet Ping Pong. But some in high places have helped fan the flames of this unfounded conspiracy theory, such as incoming Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn, and his son and adviser, Michael Flynn Jr. Mercifully, nobody was hurt, and the gunman surrendered - reportedly, after ascertaining firsthand that the Pizzagate conspiracy theory was bunk. And it had dire consequences last week, as Comet Ping Pong suffered a horrifying incident - an armed man entered the restaurant and fired his rifle. It's entirely false, a prototypical example of how insinuation, paranoia, and confirmation bias can lead some overly credulous people to very dark places. restaurant became the subject of a sprawling, utterly baseless conspiracy theory last month, alleging its involvement in a sex trafficking ring. In the event you're not familiar with what happened at Comet Ping Pong, the D.C. Suffice to say, Jake Tapper's "Pizzagate" alleged direct messages on Twitter will make you like him even more. And if so, then there's a good chance you and a certain CNN host might be in a similar place right now. If you've been following the news recently - specifically, about the surging tide of conspiracy theories, propaganda, and outright disinformation currently being shorthanded by many outlets as "fake news" - then there's a good chance you heard what happened at the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria in Washington, D.C.
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