SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WNCN/AP) — A mass shooting that shattered the evening tranquility of a picturesque, seaside town in North Carolina was a “highly premeditated” attack that left three people dead and five injured, police said Sunday. The suspect in the attack from a boat on a waterfront bar was in custody.
Nigel Edge, 40, of Oak Island, is accused of opening fire Saturday night from a boat into a crowd gathered at the American Fish Company in Southport, a historic port town about 30 miles south of Wilmington, Southport Police Chief Todd Coring said.
At a press conference Sunday, Coring said the location was “targeted,” but he did not elaborate.
By Sunday evening, a vigil was held in Southport for the victims and their families. Some people placed flowers in an area near the shooting scene and officials released statements of condolences.
“First and foremost, our hearts are with all those affected by this tragic event,” Corning said. “We stand with the victims, their families, and everyone in our community who is grieving. We are all shocked and devastated by what has happened. It is normal to feel grief, fear, or anger in times like this.”
Brunswick County Sheriff Brian Chism played “Amazing Grace” on bagpipes at the Southport waterfront just outside the American Fish Company.
“The City of Southport is a strong and resilient community, but we grieve deeply with them in this moment of loss,” Chism said in a social media statement. “Please keep the victims, their families, and the entire Southport community in your thoughts and prayers.”
Authorities said the attack Saturday night came from the water as Edge piloted a small boat close to shore, which was lined with bars and restaurants, stopped briefly and fired. He then sped away.
Locals say they’re stunned the killings and carnage happened in their small tourist town.
“Shocked that it was here, ya know? You always hear about it in the bigger places and not in a smaller community like this and that was very shocking,” Southport resident Andrea Hendrix said.
Edge was arrested by the U.S. Coast Guard at a public boat entrance on Oak Island, right next to the marina of Raleigh native Regi Swicegood’s family.
“My thoughts are, I can’t believe that this happened in my back yard and front yard! Back yard being Southport front yard being right on my property, next to it,” Swicegood said.
Some coastal residents say they are going to be aware of their surroundings from now on.
“I think for now we will have our eye on the water, a little more cautious, we’re so used to looking everywhere else and were not used to looking there that will just have to be another thing we have to add,” Hendrix said.
Roughly half an hour after the shooting, 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 charged with three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon. He could face additional charges, Coring said.
The weapon used was an “assault rifle,” although Coring didn’t specify what kind.
“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.
Edge is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday, District Attorney Jon David said. He is being held without bond.
Among the five people hospitalized with injuries, at least one “is now clinging for their life,” David said. Some of the victims were vacationers from out of town.
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.”
It was not immediately known whether Edge has an attorney to speak on his behalf. No attorney was listed on court documents. A call to Legal Aid services in Brunswick County went unanswered Sunday.
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.
Officials did not immediately release the names of the victims.
Rodney Overton
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