Edgar Maddison Welch

Edgar Maddison Welch (1988 - January 4, 2025) was an American conspiracy theorist and attempted murderer.

Biography

He was a strong believer in the "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory - which alleged that Hillary Clinton was secretly operating a pedophile ring in the Comet Ping Pong pizza restaurant in Washington, DC, as well as other similar restaurants across America.

On December 4, 2016, Welch decided to "self-investigate" these allegations and went to Comet Ping Pong and fired three shots in the restaurant with an AR-15 rifle, striking walls, a desk, and a door. He saw himself as the potential hero of the story—a rescuer of children. He surrendered after officers surrounded the restaurant and was arrested without incident. No one was injured.

Later, in an interview with The New York Times, Welch said that he regretted how he had handled the situation but did not dismiss his belief in the conspiracy theory.

On March 24, 2017, following a plea agreement with prosecutors, Welch pleaded guilty to the federal charge of interstate transport of firearms and the local District of Columbia charge of assault with a dangerous weapon. Welch also agreed to pay $5,744.33 for damages to the restaurant. U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sentenced Welch to four years in prison on June 22, 2017. On March 3, 2020, Welch was transferred to a Community Corrections Center (CCC); he was released on May 28.

Eight years after the initial incident at Comet Ping Pong, on January 4, 2025, two police officers from Kannapolis, North Carolina, pulled over Welch's vehicle at a traffic stop (he was a passenger) over an outstanding warrant for his arrest over a felony probation violation. When they attempted to arrest Welch, Welch pulled out a gun and refused orders to drop it, and the officers shot him. Welch died two days later.