A gunman opened fire from a boat into a North Carolina waterfront restaurant Saturday night, killing three people and wounding five others in what authorities described as a “highly premeditated” and “targeted” attack.
The shooting occurred around 9:30 p.m. near a popular stretch of bars and restaurants on Southport’s waterfront, a historic port town approximately 30 miles south of Wilmington.
Nigel Max Edge, 40, faces charges including three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the shooting at American Fish Company restaurant, according to city public information officer ChyAnn Ketchum.
Approximately 30 minutes after the shooting, a U.S. Coast Guard crew spotted someone matching the suspect’s description pulling a boat from the water at a public ramp on Oak Island. The individual was detained and transferred to Southport police for questioning.
Police confirmed the weapon used was an assault rifle but did not specify the type. Authorities stated Edge was known to local law enforcement and “frequently hung out on our pier.” He had filed lawsuits against the town and police department in recent years.
The district attorney noted Edge had “minor contacts” with police previously “but nothing significant in his past which would give us any indication that he was capable of such horror.”
Police Chief Todd Coring stated that Edge “identifies as a combat veteran. He self-identifies. Injured in the line of duty is what he’s saying, he suffers from PTSD.”
Officials did not disclose a specific motive but characterized the shooting as both highly premeditated and targeted. The victims who were killed have not been identified.
Among the five hospitalized with injuries, at least one “is now clinging for their life,” according to authorities. Some victims were vacationers visiting from out of town.
The shooting devastated the small coastal community’s popular dining district, where residents and tourists frequently gather along the waterfront. Southport’s historic downtown attracts visitors year-round to its restaurants, shops, and maritime attractions.
The incident represents one of the deadliest mass shootings in North Carolina in recent years and highlights ongoing concerns about public safety in crowded commercial areas.
