Authorities say a former Marine carried out a deadly attack on a North Carolina bar from a boat, and prosecutors are now weighing the death penalty.
Forty-year-old Nigel Edge is accused of opening fire with an assault rifle from a boat outside the American Fish Company in Southport, killing three and injuring eight. Authorities say the attack was “highly premeditated.”
Edge, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq and earned a Purple Heart, made his first court appearance Monday. Judge Scott Ussery ordered him held without bond and appointed the Capital Defender’s Office. Edge didn’t enter a plea. He’s due back in court on October 13th.
Police say Edge acted alone, targeting bar patrons enjoying live music on an outdoor deck.
“It appears that he acted as what we call a ‘lone wolf,’” Southport Police Chief Todd Coring said.
Edge, who legally changed his name from Sean William Debevoise in 2023, is facing multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. He was arrested about 30 minutes after the shooting, spotted at a nearby boat ramp.
Officials confirmed Edge suffers from PTSD and had been assigned to the Wounded Warriors Battalion. “He self-identifies [as] injured in the line of duty,” Coring added.
District Attorney Jon David says the death penalty is being considered. “We don’t actually have to prove motive,” he said. “Intent and motive are very different.”
Governor Josh Stein praised law enforcement’s swift response and emphasized the need to fix the mental health system to prevent future tragedies.
