A gunman opened fire on a crowded riverside bar in North Carolina on Saturday night after pulling up to its dock on a boat, killing three people and wounding at least five others, one critically, before speeding away on the water, authorities said.
The shooting, which law enforcement officials described as a “targeted” and “highly premeditated attack,” occurred around 9:30 p.m. at the American Fish Co. bar in Southport, North Carolina. ChyAnn Ketchum, a spokesperson for the city, said the gunman fired on a crowd after pulling up to the dock and then escaped on the boat.
Just after 10 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard detained someone matching a description of the gunman who was bringing a boat out of the water to secure it to a trailer at a public ramp in Oak Island, North Carolina, about 12 miles west of where the shooting occurred, city officials said in a statement early Sunday.
On Sunday, city officials identified that person as Nigel Edge, 40, of Oak Island. He faces three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon. He may face additional charges, according to Jon David, the district attorney for Bladen, Brunswick and Columbus counties in North Carolina.
Edge was being held without bond at the Brunswick County Detention Center in Bolivia, North Carolina. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer.
“We understand this suspect identifies as a combat veteran,” Todd Coring, the Southport police chief, said at a news conference Sunday morning.
“Injured in the line of duty is what he’s saying. He suffers from PTSD,” Coring added, referring to post-traumatic stress disorder. “We want to point those facts out.”
Authorities called it a “lone-wolf” attack, but they did not provide a possible motive for the shooting. Coring said that the dockside bar was a “targeted location” and that the attack was “highly premeditated,” but did not give details. He said the gunman had used an assault rifle.
Authorities said that many of the victims of the attack were tourists and that their names would most likely be made public Monday.
The American Fish Co. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A message on its website said that it would be closed until further notice.
Officials said that Edge had legally changed his name years ago, and that the name change would most likely add to the time needed to piece together his history.
Court records show that Edge changed his name from Sean William Debevoise in late 2023.
Court records indicate that Edge filed several federal lawsuits this year against the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Brunswick County sheriff’s office, among other defendants.
Edge, who represented himself, describes himself in the complaints as a former Marine who has been a victim of human trafficking and torture as well as a target of attempted murder plots. Some of those suits have been dismissed, while others are still pending.
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