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Southport Man Charged in Deadly Waterfront Bar Shooting Identified as Decorated Marine Veteran
SOUTHPORT, NC – Authorities have identified and charged a 40-year-old Southport man in connection with a mass shooting at a local waterfront bar that left three people dead and five wounded. Nigel Edge, a decorated Marine combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient, appeared in a North Carolina courtroom Monday, where a judge ordered him held without bond.
Edge faces charges of murder, attempted murder, and assault following Saturday night’s incident at the American Fish Company in Southport, a historic port town located approximately 30 miles south of Wilmington. A probable cause hearing has been scheduled for October 13.
Police Chief Todd Coring described the attack as “highly premeditated” and targeted. According to authorities, Edge piloted a boat close to the shore, briefly stopped, and opened fire with an assault rifle on a crowd of patrons.
Five victims remain hospitalized. Their identities have not been released.
Edge was apprehended approximately 30 minutes after the shooting by a U.S. Coast Guard crew who spotted him pulling his boat from the water at a public ramp on Oak Island, where he resides. North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Director Chip Hawley confirmed Monday that law enforcement officers “got the confession” from the suspect, without providing further details.
Edge, who legally changed his name from Sean DeBevoise in 2023, informed police he sustained combat injuries and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). His military records indicate service from 2003 to 2009, achieving the rank of sergeant.
He had deployments during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 and 2006, receiving a Purple Heart, a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, a Combat Action Ribbon (Iraq), and an Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze stars. His final assignment was with Wounded Warrior Battalion East.
Oak Island Police Chief Charles Morris noted that Edge was known to local officers and had filed “numerous lawsuits” against the department and town in recent years, often stemming from perceived grievances. Court records reveal a pattern of legal actions, including a May 12 lawsuit accusing a church of attempting to make him commit suicide because he is “not LGBQT or a pedophile.”
In another 2024 filing, he made claims against his parents, alleging they falsified a birth certificate for “a feral child.” Edge’s mother, Sandra Lynn DeBevoise, responded in one filing, stating, “Plaintiff suffers from war injuries and he suffers from delusions and PTSD.
The VA needs to take care of him!!!”
In his petition to change his name, Edge cited a desire to start a “new path with a new name” due to a lack of understanding and trust in his family following various life events.
The tragic events have prompted Governor Josh Stein to emphasize the critical need to “fix our broken mental health care system.” Governor Stein stated, “We know that the vast majority of folks with mental health challenges pose no risk to others, but some can.
There are too many people in our communities with dangerous obsessions exhibiting threatening behavior who do pose risks.” He was scheduled to meet with local law enforcement and community leaders in Southport Monday afternoon.
This incident also comes as the North Carolina legislature recently passed a criminal justice reform bill, which includes a greater emphasis on mental health examinations for defendants. Governor Stein has yet to announce whether he will sign the bill into law or veto it. He has previously advocated for a “red flag” law, which would allow a judge to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed a grave risk to the community, though such a provision was not included in the recent legislation.