SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WNCN) — N.C. Governor Josh Stein appeared in Southport Monday, where a waterfront restaurant became the scene of a mass shooting over the weekend.
Three were killed and another five were injured Saturday night at American Fish Company — the target of a suspect with a gun firing from a boat near the shoreline. The shots rang out around 9:30 p.m. at the restaurant on Yacht Basin Drive, along the Cape Fear River.
Stein appeared alongside law enforcement officials whom he thanked for ending “fear and panic” with their immediate response and apprehension of the suspect, 40-year-old Nigel Edge of Oak Island.
“It was horrific. I’m heartbroken for the families of the three people who lost their lives in this terrible incident,” Gov. Stein said.
Edge, a former U.S. Marine and trained sniper, was denied bond in his first court appearance Monday. Prosecutors revealed in court that Edge had a cache of weapons and ammunition when he was arrested, and evidence suggests he had initially planned to carry out the attack on Friday, before deciding to strike on Saturday.
The Southport Police Department confirmed that among the eight victims, one person remains critically injured.
During the court proceedings, where cameras were not allowed, it was disclosed that Edge allegedly drove his boat near the shore, began shooting, and later sped away.
The denial of bond for Edge underscores the severity of the charges and the potential threat he poses, as the community grapples with the aftermath of the tragic shooting.
In his remarks, Gov. Stein pointed to other deadly acts of gun violence in our state and country, saying “we must do better to keep people safe.” He also said he is ready to work with anyone and everyone who is serious about protecting the people of North Carolina.
“We must do more to prevent these acts of violence. It has to be our top priority,” Stein continued. “Recent events here in Southport and Charlotte, not to mention Michigan, Utah, Minnesota, and Kentucky — and I’m talking about just in the last few weeks — are clarion calls, telling us that we have more work to do to make sure that people are both actually safe and that they feel safe in their communities.”
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by CBS17.com. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by CBS17.com staff before being published.
Ashley Anderson
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