Southport mass shooting suspect held without bond following court appearance

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — The man accused in Saturday night’s mass shooting in Southport made his first court appearance Monday afternoon in Brunswick County.

Nigel Edge, 40,  is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

Chief District Court Judge Scott Ussery ordered that the defendant be held without bond. The Capital Defender’s Office has been appointed to represent him. A probable cause hearing has been set for October 13.

Edge is accused of opening fire Saturday night into the American Fish Company, a waterfront bar in the Southport Yacht Basin.

Investigators say a boat pulled close to shore, paused, then began shooting at people. The boat then fled the scene toward Oak Island.

Around 10 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard located and detained Edge at a public boat ramp in Oak Island.

The shooting left three people dead and five others injured.