Nigel Edge, a 40-year-old man with a history of military service, has been charged in connection with a tragic shooting incident at a waterfront bar in Southport, North Carolina. His alleged actions on Saturday night resulted in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to five others.
Set for an appearance in court, Edge faces charges that include murder and assault related to what police describe as a highly premeditated attack during which he fired an assault rifle from a boat into a crowd of patrons at the American Fish Company.
After the incident, Edge was arrested by the U.S. Coast Guard shortly after he was spotted attempting to remove the boat from the water. The legal proceedings will begin as authorities continue to investigate the motivations behind this harrowing event.
Once a decorated Marine combat veteran who earned a Purple Heart, Edge served in the military from 2003 to 2009 and had a deployment in Iraq. Reports indicate that he has been struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, which he claims has affected his mental health following his combat experiences.
Local law enforcement noted that Edge had previously filed multiple lawsuits against the town and police department over various grievances. Community members were shocked by the incident, as Edge had been recognized in the area before but mostly as an individual with ongoing legal issues, rather than a violent offender.
As the investigation unfolds, five victims remain hospitalized, and further details surrounding the motivation and circumstances of the shooting are anticipated.
