US Pizzeria Shooter Acting on Fake News About Child Sex Ring Jailed for 4 Years

A US man who opened fire in a Washington pizzeria because of the rumors that a child sex-trafficking ring was acting at the establishment, has been sentenced to four years in prison, the US Department of Justice said in a release on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The man who fired an assault rifle in a Washington, DC pizza parlor while claiming to be investigating a purported child sex ring linked to the Democratic Party has been sentenced to four years in prison, according to the release.

"Welch, 29, of Salisbury, NC, was sentenced today to four years in prison on charges stemming from an incident in which he carried a loaded AR-15 assault rifle and a revolver into a northwest Washington pizza restaurant, scattering employees and customers, and fired his assault rifle into a door," the release stated.

Welch was motivated by unfounded rumors, or fake news, that a child sex-trafficking ring was being perpetrated at the establishment, the Justice Department noted.

Welch was ordered to pay $5,744 in restitution for property damage caused during the incident, the Justice Department added.

In March, Welch pleaded guilty to multiple firearms charges.