Decorated Marine Veteran Charged in Deadly North Carolina Bar Shooting

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 a North Carolina waterfront bar. The incident, which occurred Saturday night at the American Fish Company in Southport, resulted in the deaths of three individuals and left five others wounded.

Authorities allege Edge piloted a boat close to the shore and opened fire with an assault rifle on a crowd of patrons. Police Chief Todd Coring described the attack as “highly premeditated.” Edge was apprehended approximately 30 minutes later by a U.S. Coast Guard crew as he was removing his boat from the water on Oak Island, his place of residence.

Edge appeared in a Brunswick County courtroom on Monday. North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Director Chip Hawley confirmed that law enforcement has secured a confession from the suspect. Five victims remain hospitalized as of Monday.

According to police, Edge, who changed his name in 2023, claimed to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to combat injuries. He has a history of numerous lawsuits against the Oak Island police department and town, with court records revealing unusual claims, including one accusing an area church of attempting to make him commit suicide.

Edge served in the military from 2003-2009, including deployments during Operation Iraqi Freedom, earning a Purple Heart. The tragic shooting has prompted North Carolina Governor Josh Stein to call for urgent improvements to the state’s mental health care system, highlighting the risks posed by some individuals exhibiting dangerous obsessions and threatening behavior.

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