SOUTHPORT, NC - In the aftermath of a mass shooting, police have arrested a lone gunman who allegedly killed three people and injured five others at a packed waterfront bar late Saturday night.
Nigel Max Edge, 40, was arrested by the Coast Guard in what police have described as a "highly premeditated" attack and has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder, and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon, NBC News reported.
Jail records show that he remains in custody without bond. During a press conference, Southport Police Chief Todd Coring said officers were dispatched to the American Fish Company around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 27. Reports state that the shots came from a boat in the waterway outside of the bar.
"He acted alone," Coring told reporters. "This is highly premeditated, from what we're seeing at this time, and we feel there are no other threats to our community."
The three people killed have not yet been publicly identified. Dosher Memorial Hospital confirmed in a statement that its staff treated two patients for gunshot wounds.
Both were stabilized and released to go home. District Attorney John David described one of the victims as "clinging to life."
Edge allegedly fled the scene on his boat and headed toward the neighboring community of Oak Island. Edge is a resident of Oak Island, where local police said they were aware of him. A U.S. Coast Guard crew detained Edge and turned him over to the Oak Island police after spotting him allegedly loading a boat at a public ramp in the town.
Law enforcement officials from the Oak Island Police Department, the Southport Police Department, the sheriff's office, and the State Bureau of Investigation searched Edge's boat, vehicle and residence. Officials have not yet provided additional details, but said an assault rifle was found during the search.
Court records show that Edge changed his name in 2023 from Sean William Debevoise. Coring told reporters that Edge is a "self-described" combat veteran who was injured in the line of duty and suffers from PTSD. Edge's military background has not yet been verified.
Oak Island Police Chief Charlie Morris said that Edge was known to his officers, as Edge "frequently hung out on our pier." He also filed several lawsuits against the town of Oak Island within the last couple of years.
David described the victims as vacationers visiting the waterfront bar, where live music was playing. The yacht basin is in the southeastern corner of the state, "where the Intracoastal Waterway, Cape Fear River, and the Atlantic Ocean converge," according to state tourism organization Visit North Carolina.
David noted that the area once served as the backdrop to the 2013 film "Safe Haven," an adaptation of the popular Nicholas Sparks novel. "And that name is symbolic of the way in which the people in our community view this area," David added. The investigation remains ongoing.
Nigel Max Edge, 40, was arrested by the Coast Guard in what police have described as a "highly premeditated" attack and has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder, and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon, NBC News reported.
Jail records show that he remains in custody without bond. During a press conference, Southport Police Chief Todd Coring said officers were dispatched to the American Fish Company around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 27. Reports state that the shots came from a boat in the waterway outside of the bar.
"He acted alone," Coring told reporters. "This is highly premeditated, from what we're seeing at this time, and we feel there are no other threats to our community."
The three people killed have not yet been publicly identified. Dosher Memorial Hospital confirmed in a statement that its staff treated two patients for gunshot wounds.
Both were stabilized and released to go home. District Attorney John David described one of the victims as "clinging to life."
Edge allegedly fled the scene on his boat and headed toward the neighboring community of Oak Island. Edge is a resident of Oak Island, where local police said they were aware of him. A U.S. Coast Guard crew detained Edge and turned him over to the Oak Island police after spotting him allegedly loading a boat at a public ramp in the town.
Law enforcement officials from the Oak Island Police Department, the Southport Police Department, the sheriff's office, and the State Bureau of Investigation searched Edge's boat, vehicle and residence. Officials have not yet provided additional details, but said an assault rifle was found during the search.
Court records show that Edge changed his name in 2023 from Sean William Debevoise. Coring told reporters that Edge is a "self-described" combat veteran who was injured in the line of duty and suffers from PTSD. Edge's military background has not yet been verified.
Oak Island Police Chief Charlie Morris said that Edge was known to his officers, as Edge "frequently hung out on our pier." He also filed several lawsuits against the town of Oak Island within the last couple of years.
David described the victims as vacationers visiting the waterfront bar, where live music was playing. The yacht basin is in the southeastern corner of the state, "where the Intracoastal Waterway, Cape Fear River, and the Atlantic Ocean converge," according to state tourism organization Visit North Carolina.
David noted that the area once served as the backdrop to the 2013 film "Safe Haven," an adaptation of the popular Nicholas Sparks novel. "And that name is symbolic of the way in which the people in our community view this area," David added. The investigation remains ongoing.
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