Man With Rifle Arrested At Pizzeria Targeted By Pro-Trump Conspiracy Theory

Fake News Story Alleged That Comet Ping Pong Was Home To Chid Abuse Ring Led By Hillary Clinton

A man carrying an assault rifle was arrested Sunday afternoon at a popular D.C. pizzeria that recently became the target of a pro-Trump, anti-Clinton conspiracy theory. 

The man was arrested at Comet Ping Pong on Connecticut Avenue in Northwest Washington after police received a report of a man with a weapon shortly after 3 p.m., according to The Washington Post. The restaurant featuring ping-pong tables is especially popular among families. No shots were fired. 

The owner of Comet Ping Pong and his employees recently began receiving threats after the restaurant became the subject of a fake news story alleging it was the home base of a child abuse ring led by Hillary Clinton and campaign chair John Podesta, The New York Times reported. 

The fake story, which became known as #Pizzagate, alleged that Clinton and Podesta kidnapped, molested and trafficked kids in the back of the restaurant. The story went viral on Facebook and several right-wings sites, even prompting the fact-checking site Snopes to debunk it.