Southport, N.C.- Three people were killed and five others injured in a shooting at the American Fish Company bar in Southport, North Carolina, on Saturday, authorities said. Nigel Max Edge, a former Marine, allegedly opened fire on the waterfront establishment from a boat.
The victims have been identified as Jody Wallace, 62, of Southport, North Carolina; James Robert “Bobby” McDowell, 56, of Port, North Carolina; and Michael Durbin, 56, of Galena, Ohio, according to a statement from the city of Southport. the shooting occurred in an area where the Intracoastal Waterway and Cape Fear River converge near the atlantic Ocean.
Police have described the attack as “highly premeditated.” during Edge’s first court appearance, prosecutors stated the weapon used was a .300 Blackout Sig Sauer rifle equipped with an optic scope and a suppressor. A .380-caliber handgun was also found in his waistband at the time of his arrest.
Edge,a former marine Corps scout sniper who was injured during his service,has significant mental health issues,including a possible traumatic brain injury,Brunswick County District Attorney John david said Monday. David added that Edge’s criminal background offered no indication he was capable of such violence.
Edge did not enter a plea at Monday’s court appearance and was ordered held without bail. His public defender stated he intends to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
