Authorities have charged a Marine veteran with murder after a mass shooting at a waterfront bar in Southport, North Carolina, left three people dead and five others injured.
The suspect, 40-year-old Nigel Edge, appeared in court on Monday. He was ordered held without bond and assigned counsel from the Capital Defender’s Office. Edge faces three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder, and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or injure. Prosecutors said they are weighing the death penalty.
Police allege Edge opened fire just after 10:25 p.m. Saturday from a boat outside the American Fish Company, a popular bar on the Southport waterfront. Patrons were gathered on an outdoor deck listening to live music when the attack began. Southport Police Chief Todd Coring said the shooting was “highly premeditated” and described Edge as acting alone.
Edge was arrested about 30 minutes later by the U.S. Coast Guard, who spotted him loading his boat at a public ramp on nearby Oak Island. He was taken into custody and questioned before being charged.
Military records show Edge served in the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2009, rose to the rank of sergeant, and was awarded a Purple Heart after deployments to Iraq. He later changed his name from Sean William Debevoise in 2023.
Court records and reporting have revealed that Edge frequently expressed anti-LGBTQ+ views in recent years. Filings reviewed by The Advocate show that in a 2024 lawsuit, he claimed to be the victim of “a Hate Crime (LGBQT toward a straight man)” and accused his parents of being “LGBQT White Supremacist Pedophiles.” In other suits, he alleged acquaintances conspired with “LGBQT/Terrorist” groups and wrote that the Department of Veterans Affairs was poisoning him as part of an “LGBQT code.” Judges dismissed the filings as frivolous and, in some cases, struck portions of the language as scandalous.
Investigators said the attack appeared to be targeted but have not confirmed a motive, noting that the case remains under review. District Attorney Jon David said his office is considering capital punishment and emphasized that prosecutors must prove intent, not motive. “People frequently want to know what happened and why,” David said at a press conference. “As prosecutors, we have to prove intent. Intent and motive are very different things.”
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein visited Southport on Monday and praised law enforcement and the Coast Guard for the quick arrest. “Your excellent police work may have saved additional lives,” Stein said.
Edge’s next court date is set for October 13.