THE DISTRICT

Alleged ‘Pizzagate’ gunman in court

A federal judge agreed Thursday to seal personal information extracted by police from the cellphones of people who communicated with a North Carolina man accused of commandeering a D.C. pizza restaurant and firing several shots from an assault-style rifle Dec. 4. No one was injured.

Edgar Maddison Welch, 28, of Salisbury, N.C., made his first appearance before U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who said she would grant the request by prosecutors.

Chutkan set Welch’s next court date for Jan. 24, as the government turns over evidence including police reports, photographs and a video of Welch’s police interview, with witness statements still to come.

Welch has pleaded not guilty to federal and local firearms and assault charges in the incident, which prosecutors said Welch’s communications indicate was motivated by a viral fake-news story known as “Pizzagate.” The conspiracy theory falsely linked Hillary Clinton to a child sex-trafficking ring.

— Spencer S. Hsu

MARYLAND

Metro worker falls

near Bethesda stop

A Metro worker was injured early Thursday after a 35-foot fall down a shaft near the Bethesda stop.

The incident happened at about 1:30 a.m. He suffered back and leg injuries, but none appeared life-threatening, officials said.

Two other Metro workers were injured Wednesday while making track repairs on the Green and Yellow lines. One worker was injured from a shock after a metal rod he was carrying touched the electrified third rail. The other worker was hurt while trying to help him.

— Dana Hedgpeth

VIRGINIA

Two teens are injured

in gang incident

A teenager was shot and another was injured in an incident believed to involve a gang called South Side, authorities in Prince William County said.

The incident happened Wednesday about 3:40 p.m. near Rixlew Lane and Ashton Avenue in Manassas, police said. Two teenagers, ages 17 and 16, were walking along a path in a wooded area when they were approached by two people, police said.

One of them, later identified as Jonathan L. Aviles, 20, pulled out a gun, police said. The 16-year-old was shot in the upper body. The other teen suffered a “minor, non-gunshot-related” injury to his head, police said.

Aviles and another suspect, a 17-year-old from Manassas, then fled in a vehicle with two other men. Police ultimately charged all four suspects with counts including aggravated malicious wounding and gang participation.

They include Aviles and 18-year-olds Steven J. Roldan and Diego Martinez, all of Manassas. The 17-year-old suspect was not identified because he is a juvenile.

Both victims were taken to hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries.

— Dana Hedgpeth