‘Devastating’: Officials detail Southport waterfront shooting that killed 3, injured 8 during music show

SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WNCN) — During a Sunday morning news conference, officials at the North Carolina coast delivered an emotional update on a tragic mass shooting into a restaurant on the Southport waterfront that left 3 people dead and several others injured Saturday night.

There is an ongoing active investigation led by the Southport Police Department of the deadly shooting by a man from a boat into the American Fish Company on Saturday around 9:30 p.m. near the Southport Yacht Basin.

According to the Southport Police Department on Sunday, the Saturday night shooting happened as a boater was traveling on the Cape Fear River before pausing outside of the restaurant. Officials said the person in the boat opened fire, killing and injuring people.

“The boat then fled the area, towards the Intracoastal Waterway in the direction of Oak Island,” officials said.

Nigel Max Edge, 40, was detained by the U.S. Coast Guard in Oak Island. Police, along with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, searched his home, retrieving multiple firearms as well as the boat in question.

Officials said late Sunday morning that some victims were “fighting for their lives” following the Saturday night shooting.

“I want to circle back to where we started, which is keeping the victims’ families in our thoughts and prayers,” said District 15 District Attorney Jon David. “This is truly a devastating incident.”

‘Lone wolf’: Suspect acted alone in Southport shooting

According to Oak Island, officers said in the news conference that they were familiar with Nigel Edge, who lives in Oak Island.

A Southport police spokesperson said Edge is a self-identified combat veteran who was injured in the line of duty and possibly suffers from PTSD. The district attorney said he did not have much of a criminal history in North Carolina, but they are looking into instances in other states.

During the press conference Sunday morning, the police spokesperson said he has filed multiple lawsuits against the town and the department over the past couple of years.

The town’s district attorney said he frequented the port area of Southport.

When asked about the weapon used in the shooting, officials said they recovered multiple firearms during a search of Edge’s home. Southport police said Edge used at least an assault rifle and they are looking into whether or not more weapons were used.

Victims visiting American Fish Company

The press conference Sunday at 11 a.m. was filled with sorrows and prayers to the victims injured and dead from this incident.

Officials said most of the victims were attending a live music event at American Fish Company and were sitting on the patio facing Intercoastal Waterway. According to officials, the shooter opened fire at the victims on that deck.

“The thread that connects the victims in this case is that they love live music,” the Southport district attorney said. “Most of the victims were on vacation and not residents of Southport.”

The identities of the shooting victims are withheld from the public until their families have been notified, according to officials. They said most of them have families outside of North Carolina.

Officials are still looking to the public for help in their investigation and ask that if anyone has information or video of the shooting to give them a call 910-457-7911 or submit a tip online at https://cityofsouthport.com/police-department/tip-line/.