Fire and police officials determined that a sudden fire last week at Comet Ping Pong was intentionally set, and they have released photos of a suspect.
The fire, which happened shortly before 9:30 p.m. on January 23, destroyed a set of curtains and prompted an evacuation of the popular pizzeria in Northwest. Employees extinguished it before emergency officials arrived. The investigators on the scene unanimously concluded that someone had intentionally set fire to the 20-foot-by-20-foot dark curtains, using wooden matches and lighter fluid that were discovered on a table near the curtains. Aside from the curtains, nothing else was damaged.
Shortly before the 2016 election, Comet Ping Pong was swept up in the “Pizzagate” hoax, a debunked online conspiracy that claimed the establishment hosted a pedophilic satanic sex ring tied to elite Democrats in its basement. The restaurant does not have a basement. Nevertheless, it has had to increase its security and its staff has fielded harassing phone calls and death threats, and faced homophobic protesters.
In early December 2016, a 28-year-old man named Edgar Maddison Welch fired a gun inside Comet Ping Pong, telling police he sought to “self-investigate” the disproven claims. He surrendered to police after finding nothing inside. The D.C. community rallied around the pizzeria.
During Welch’s sentencing, Assistant US Attorney Demian Ahn wrote that his actions “traumatized Comet employees and customers alike. There are victims who require crisis counseling, employees who feel unsafe in their jobs, and children whose memories are imprinted with the danger of that day.” He was sentenced to four years in prison.
Comet Ping Pong owner James Alefantis told the Washington Post he has no reason to believe that the arson is linked to the incidents in 2016, though the restaurant continues to receive prank phone calls on a regular basis.
The D.C. Arson Task Force and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives describe the suspect as a white male, approximately 25-30 years old, with blonde hair, a mustache, and a beard.
Witness Nicole Lafragola told WJLA that one person who entered the restaurant acted suspiciously that evening. “He seemed like he was there with a purpose obviously, and he didn’t stick around,” she said. “This gentleman doesn’t acknowledge that he sees this fire, he just walks right out and doesn’t make eye contact with anyone.”
Rachel Kurzius



