SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WNCN) — Three people were killed and five others were injured in what police have described as a “highly premeditated” shooting at a North Carolina waterfront bar that was “targeted.” A suspect is now facing several charges.
Authorities were called around 9:30 p.m. to a shooting on the waterfront at the American Fish Company in Southport, located about 30 miles south of Wilmington. City officials said officers found multiple people with injuries at the scene.
Before officers arrived, a boat with a single occupant traveling on the Cape Fear River paused outside of the restaurant, authorities said Sunday. The boater allegedly opened fire into a crowd on land, killing three and injuring five. Police initially reported that eight were injured, but corrected the count Sunday morning.
“The boat then fled the area, towards the Intracoastal Waterway in the direction of Oak Island,” officials said.
Officials said that shortly after 10 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard observed an individual who matched the shooter’s description loading their boat in Oak Island, just a few miles from Southport. The Coast Guard detained the suspect, turning them over to the Oak Island Police Department.
The suspect has since been identified as 40-year-old Nigel Max Edge. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said Sunday that Edge has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injuries.
The identities of those killed, as well as the conditions of those who were wounded, were also not released Sunday. Among the five people hospitalized with injuries, at least one “is now clinging for their life,” District Attorney Jon David said.
Edge could face additional charges, Police Chief Todd Coring said at a press conference Sunday.
“We understand this suspect identifies as a combat veteran. He self-identifies. Injured in the line of duty is what he’s saying, he suffers from PTSD,” Coring said, referring to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Coring said the location was “targeted,” but he did not elaborate. The weapon used was an assault rifle, although Coring didn’t specify what kind.
Oak Island Police Chief Charlie Morris said the suspect was known to police as someone “who frequently hung out on our pier,” and that he had filed lawsuits against the town and police department over the last few years. He did not elaborate.
The district attorney said Edge had had “minor contacts” with police in the past “but nothing significant in his past which would give us any indication that he was capable of such horror.”
After town officials issued alerts to the public via social media Saturday night about the active shooter, they said there is no further credible threat to the public.
“Officers and Deputies from multiple agencies are in place to help ensure additional security for the greater area,” officials said. “This investigation is still in an immediate response stage; however, further updates on suspect identity and charges will be provided directly by the City of Southport as they become available.”
The Southport Yacht Basin borders an area of the town along the Intracoastal Waterway with several bars and restaurants, including American Fish Company.
The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office released a short statement Saturday night on social media about the matter.
“The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office is assisting the City of Southport Police Department, along with multiple law enforcement agencies throughout the county,” the sheriff’s office said. “Please keep all those affected, as well as our first responders, in your thoughts and prayers.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.