The suspected gunman who opened fire at a crowded dockside restaurant in North Carolina — killing three people and injuring eight others — has been identified.
Nigel Edge was taken into custody Saturday night after he allegedly pulled up to the American Fish Company restaurant in Southport Yacht Basin, about 30 miles south of Wilmington, and began spraying bullets into the crowd of unsuspecting diners, authorities said.
Edge, 39, was armed with a short barrel AR rifle, equipped with a suppressor, with a folding stock and scope, court documents charge.
Edge faces three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
The motive has yet to be determined, police said.
Following the mass shooting, police said the gunman quickly took off on the Intracoastal Waterway and was spotted at around 10 p.m. trying to load a vessel along the marina on Oak Island.
He was arrested by the US Coast Guard.
Edge was being held at the Brunswick County Detention Center without bond, according to court records. He was due to appear in court on Monday for an initial hearing.
Southport Police Chief Todd Coring said the investigation was ongoing as he asked for people to keep the victims in their prayers.
“We’re a small community, one of the communities where everybody knows everybody,” the chief told reporters. “It’s just a very tragic night.”
Coring was set to provide an update on the case later on Sunday morning.
