Decorated Marine Veteran Charged After North Carolina Waterfront Bar Shooting Kills 3

Nigel Edge, a 40-year-old decorated Marine combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient, has been charged with murder, attempted murder, and assault following a mass shooting at the American Fish Company waterfront bar in Southport, North Carolina, that killed three people and wounded five others. Edge, who legally changed his name in 2023 from Sean DeBevoise, fired an assault rifle from a boat close to shore in what officials described as a "highly premeditated" and targeted attack. He was apprehended about 30 minutes later by the U.S. Coast Guard at a public ramp on Oak Island, where he lives, and has confessed to the shooting according to law enforcement. Reports indicate Edge suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from his combat service in Iraq, and he had a history of filing various lawsuits alleging conspiracies against him, including claims involving the LGBTQ community. Local police were familiar with Edge due to his frequent presence in the area and legal disputes with the town and police department, but prior encounters did not suggest he was capable of violence. Authorities have seized the assault rifle used in the attack, and investigations by state agencies are ongoing with no federal involvement so far; no clear motive has been disclosed.