Three people were killed and at least five more suffered injuries in a mass shooting in Southport, North Carolina, on Saturday night, authorities said.
Authorities quickly arrested a person of interest, Nigel Max Edge, a resident of the nearby town of Oak Island, according to police in the town and in Southport. At a news conference Sunday morning, Southport Police Chief Todd Coring said their investigation so far suggests the shooting was “highly premeditated.”
From a boat that he briefly parked outside of the American Fish Company, a waterfront bar and restaurant along the Cape Fear River, the shooter opened fire at around 9:30 p.m. ET Saturday into a crowd of patrons at the Southport establishment, according to city officials. He proceeded to flee the scene by boat and headed toward Oak Island, where U.S. Coast Guard crews found and detained him, Coring said.
Edge was loading a boat at a public boat ramp in Oak Island at the time of his arrest, said Brunswick County District Attorney Jon David, citing a Coast Guard report. He was held in custody overnight by the Oak Island Police Department and turned over to Southport Police, said Coring. Edge faces numerous charges, including three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of first-degree attempted murder, and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon and intent to kill, according to the police chief.
North Carolina’s state Bureau of Investigation is assisting Southport police with an ongoing probe, Southport officials said. They do not believe there is any lingering threat to the public in the aftermath of that arrest.
Authorities have not identified by name any of the patrons who were shot. They are expected to provide an update on their investigation at a news conference Sunday morning.
