Heightened DC Police Presence After Comet Ping Pong Shooting: Report

WASHINGTON, DC — D.C. police are increasing their presence near Comet Ping Pong and nearby businesses after a gunman who was investigating a false rumor about Hillary Clinton and the local pizza joint walked in and fired off at least one shot on Sunday.

Police say a North Carolina man walked into Comet Ping Pong in Northwest, pointed a gun at a worker who fled, and then fired the gun at least once before he was arrested without incident. He had been "investigating" a hoax that has spread like wildfire over the Internet claiming that Comet Ping Pong is the home of a child sex trafficking ring run by top Hillary Clinton staffers.

Fox 5 reporter Lindsay Watts tweeted pictures of police cars in the area and wrote that the D.C. police department was watching Comet Ping Pong and other shops that have been threatened over the rumor.

Although Comet Ping Pong has been the main focus of harassment, other shops nearby have been implicated, as the PizzaGate hoax suggests that they are somehow involved because their logos supposedly call to mind pedophilia symbols.

After gun scare, @DCPoliceDept watching #CometPingPong, other shops threatened after fake news of child sex trafficking aka #pizzagate pic.twitter.com/hbWj1O0sKj
— Lindsay Watts (@LindsayAWatts) December 5, 2016

Meanwhile, the community is gathering to support the harassed pizza joint, placing flowers and signs of support outside of the business.

Online, people are planning an event to show Comet Ping Pong support. An area mom dropped this off outside of the business @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/qCgaRlf8py
— Stephanie Ramirez (@RamirezReports) December 5, 2016

Image via Flickr user Elizabeth Murphy