Man pleads guilty in Washington pizzeria shooting over fake news

FILE PICTURE: People walk on the sidewalk past the Comet Ping Pong pizza restaurant in Washington, U.S. December 5, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A North Carolina man pleaded guilty on Friday to opening fire in a Washington pizzeria that fake news reports claimed housed a child sex ring linked to 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Edgar Welch, 28, of Salisbury, was accused of firing at least three shots from an AR-15 rifle inside the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria in December and pointing the gun at an employee after showing up to investigate the online conspiracy rumours. No one was hurt.