Suspect held in waterfront bar shooting that left 3 dead in North Carolina
Three people were killed and five wounded in Southport, N.C., on Saturday night when police say a gunman attacked a bar from the water, driving his boat up alongside an open-air dock-front bar and opening fire.
Nigel Edge was arrested Saturday on charges including first-degree murder in what police are calling a premeditated attack.
The suspect fled the scene, motoring his boat toward the Intracoastal Waterway. Half an hour after the shooting, at 10 p.m., “the Coast Guard observed a single individual matching the description of the shooter loading their boat at a public boat ramp,” said Southport Police Chief Todd Coring.
The attack took place at the American Fish Company, a bar and live-music venue. Police are asking anyone who witnessed the shooting to contact them.
“Our prayers are with the families and the victims of this tragedy,” Coring said at a press conference Sunday morning.
“A lot of the victims in this case appear to be not members of our community, but just people who were here on vacation,” said local District Attorney Jon David. He said one of the wounded victims was “clinging for their life.”
David said he arrived at the scene around 11 p.m. on Saturday and “saw with my own eyes the horror which has occurred in this case.”
Officials said they believe the alleged gunman acted alone and that there is no ongoing safety threat. David said Edge was “known to law enforcement,” but that there was “nothing significant in his past which would give us any indication that he was capable of such horror.” State voter registration records list Edge as 41 years old.
Edge had changed his name from Sean Debevoise, according to Southport public information officer ChyAnn Ketchum, citing the district attorney’s investigation.
So far this year, there have been at least 324 mass shootings in the U.S., according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive — that is, shootings where at least four people were killed or wounded.
Police described the shooter’s weapon as an assault rifle.
The American Fish Company said in a statement, “our hearts are broken, and our prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone affected by this tragedy.” The business will be closed indefinitely.
Edge is being held without bond, authorities said, and is expected to appear in court Monday.
How Alabama Power kept bills up and opposition out to become one of the most powerful utilities in the country
In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators.
No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS
The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.
Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue
Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
