Earlier this week, Edgar Maddison Welch of Salisbury, N.C. traveled to Comet Ping Pong in Washington D.C. and fired his rifle after reading fake stories on the internet about the restaurant harboring child sex slaves and using the location for kidnappings. Following the situation, now dubbed PizzaGate, owner of the pizzeria has launched a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe to raise $30,000 to pay for the security that was put in place and the employees’ lost wages.
The campaign’s description reads:
“Comet Ping Pong is so thankful for the incredible love and compassion that has been directed toward us and our community. We are grateful for the support of our dedicated customers who have come to visit with us these past few days. Many friends – including those who live in other places, have asked how they can support us and our staff -besides drinking and eating pizza with us! And as a result of recent stories and events, we realize we could use support. We have been hit with immediate expenses that do not fit into our usual small restaurant model.”
Funds from the campaign will also go towards security upgrades and physical damage that occurred during the incident. Since its launch on Wednesday, the initiative has secured over $11,000 from more than 300 supporters.
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