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Three people were killed and at least five others were injured when a gunman on a boat opened fire on patrons at a waterfront bar in a coastal North Carolina town in what police say was a “highly premeditated” attack.
Nigel Edge, 40, was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon, Southport Police Chief Todd Coring said at a press conference on Sunday.
The shooting, which erupted about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, took place along a popular stretch of bars and restaurants in the historic port town about 30 miles south of Wilmington.
Investigators said the suspect was traveling by boat along the Cape Fear River around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, when he paused briefly in front of the waterfront establishment American Fish Company, and began shooting.
The gunman then fled by boat up the Intracoastal Waterway toward Oak Island. Roughly half an hour later, a U.S. Coast Guard crew spotted a person matching the suspect’s description pulling a boat from the water at a public ramp on Oak Island. The person was detained and turned over to Southport police for questioning, officials said.
Edge is being held at the Brunswick County Detention Center with no bond and is set to be in court on Monday.
Authorities have not given additional details about the attack, only that it was premeditated and that the restaurant was a “targeted” location.
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Nigel Edge faces charges in the shooting at American Fish Company in Southport on Saturday night. Three people were killed when he opened fire from a boat, cops say. (Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office)
The victims killed in the shooting have not been publicly identified.
Coring said “possibly six” injured people were being treated at hospitals, though the city initially reported eight. No details on their conditions were released.
The incident initially drew an active shooter response, with the city urging residents to stay inside and report suspicious activity.
Investigators from multiple agencies — including the State Bureau of Investigation and the Coast Guard — remained on the water and at the scene Sunday collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. The police chief said there is no longer a threat to the public.
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A motive for the deadly shooting has not been released. (WECT)
Coring called it “a very tragic night” for the tight-knit coastal community.
Southport is located near the mouth of the Cape Fear River, about 30 miles south of Wilmington.
“We’re a small community, one of the communities where everybody knows everybody,” the chief said. “It’s just a very tragic night.”