On Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, members of the community gather at Southport Baptist Church for a prayer vigil to remember the victims of a mass shooting that occurred the night before. The church was standing-room only as ministers from several area churches offered prayers.

Police have arrested a suspect in a weekend shooting at a North Carolina bar that left three people dead and eight others injured.

Nigel Max Edge, 40, is accused of opening fire from his boat into the American Fish Company, a riverside bar in Southport, around 9:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, Sept. 27, before fleeing the scene, according to Southport police.

American Fish Company is a pub located along the Cape Fear River in Southport, which is about 30 miles south of Wilmington.

Edge allegedly fled in his boat through the Intracoastal Waterway towards the town of Oak Island, police said. Shortly thereafter, officials arrested him after he was spotted loading his boat at a public boat ramp in Oak Island. Southport Police Chief Todd Coring said at a Sept. 28 news conference that officials believe the shooting was "highly premeditated."

Edge has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted first-degree murder and is being held on no bond, according to inmate records. It's unclear if he has an attorney.

Suspect in NC bar shooting is Marine veteran

Edge, who previously went by the name Sean DeBevoise, is a Marine veteran who was injured while deployed in Iraq in 2006, according to the Wilmington Star-News, part of the USA TODAY Network.

While serving as a sniper, Edge was shot four times − in the head, hip, ankle and shoulder. After returning to the U.S., a doctor at a Veteran's Affairs hospital in Tampa, Florida, told him he'd need to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Edge moved to Wilmington in 2007 and relearned to walk on his own, according to a 2007 profile in the Star-News.

At a news conference, District Attorney Jon David confirmed that Edge, a resident of Oak Island, changed his name "some years ago" and was well-known to law enforcement in the area. David also said Edge doesn't have significant criminal history but has initiated several civil lawsuits.

According to Edge's military records, he served in the Marines from 2003 to 2009 and received a slew of awards for his service, including a Purple Heart, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and Combat Action Ribbon.

In 2012, Edge attended the CMT Music Awards alongside country singer Kellie Pickler.

"Me and my date (Sgt Sean Debevoise)," Pickler wrote with a photo posted to X. USA TODAY has reached out to Pickler's representative for comment.

3 dead, 5 injured in Southport shooting

David said at a news conference that eight people were shot, including three who were killed.

Officials believe the victims were on vacation in the area. One of the wounded was "clinging for their life," David said.

The victims have not been identified.

American Fish Company said in a statement that it will be closed indefinitely.

"Our hearts are broken, and our prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone affected by this tragedy," the statement said.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

Contributing: Renee Spencer and Miguel Legoas, USA TODAY Network; Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY

This story has been updated with additional information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What we know about the suspect in North Carolina bar shooting

Reporting by Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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