Comet Ping Pong: “What happened today demonstrates that promoting false and reckless conspiracy theories comes with consequences.”

5037 Connecticut Ave, NW

Comet Ping Pong’s response: after the terror of Sunday’s afternoon’s encounter with a man armed with an assault rifle:

“Comet Ping Pong is a beloved institution in Washington. We are heartened by the support and loyalty of our customers and our community — they are our lifeblood and we will continue to serve them joyfully for the decades to come and beyond.

Tonight, we are deeply grateful to the local law enforcement officers who responded swiftly to our call. Thanks to their good work, I am confident that we will continue to operate safely and securely, as we have for the past decade. We also honor our employees tonight, who went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure that our customers were safe.

There will be a time and place to address how and why this happened in greater detail. For now, I will simply say that we should all condemn the efforts of certain people to spread malicious and utterly false accusations about Comet Ping Pong, a venerated DC institution. Let me state unequivocally: these stories are completely and entirely false, and there is no basis in fact to any of them. What happened today demonstrates that promoting false and reckless conspiracy theories comes with consequences. I hope that those involved in fanning these flames will take a moment to contemplate what happened here today, and stop promoting these falsehoods right away.

I want to thank everyone for their concern. We look forward to resuming normal operations in the next few days. We are confident that Comet Ping Pong will continue be a safe, happy and hospitable place for this community.

– James Alefantis, owner of Comet Ping Pong”

An event to support Comet has been organized by Erick Sanchez and scheduled for this Friday:

“Stand With Comet

#StandWithComet on Friday, December 9th.

Comet Ping Pong Pizza is a family-friendly neighborhood pizzeria that has come under attack in the age of fake news. On Sunday, December 4, the attack became literal when an unidentified man entered the establishment with an assault rifle.

Thankfully, no one was hurt. ” target=”_blank”>The assailant was arrested, identified as Edgar Maddison Welch of Salisbury, N.C., and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.

No doubt this awful event and the malicious mistruths spread beforehand have left the staff feeling unsafe and on edge. They need a little light in all this darkness.

So go eat at Comet Ping Pong this Friday, December 9th (open 11:30 AM – 10:45 PM). Thank the staff for being a part of our community. Tell them you have their back. Tip well. Post your support on social media with the hashtag #StandWithComet. And please promote this event beforehand far and wide — share it on Facebook, post about it on Twitter, tell your friends about it, post it on your neighborhood listserv, or write a story about it, because it all helps.

Thank you, and see you over slices on Friday.”