Nigel Max Edge, the man accused of gunning down innocent people at a popular waterfront bar in Southport, North Carolina, made his first court appearance Monday afternoon — and prosecutors told the court that the victims who died in the shooting were shot in the head.
Edge, 40, appeared virtually from jail for his first hearing in Brunswick County, facing a mountain of charges:
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3 counts of first-degree murder
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5 counts of attempted first-degree murder
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5 counts of assault with a deadly weapon
District Attorney Jon David didn’t hold back, calling the September 27 shooting at the American Fish Company bar “premeditated” and pointing to the disturbing precision of the violence.
The judge sided with the prosecution, ordering Edge to be held without bond. Edge requested a court-appointed attorney and remained silent during the hearing. A probable cause hearing has been scheduled for October 13, and prosecutors are actively weighing whether to seek the death penalty.
Investigators say Edge docked his boat near the American Fish Company bar, pulled out a weapon, and opened fire on unsuspecting patrons enjoying their night by the water. After the ambush, he fled by boat through the Intracoastal Waterway.
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Surveillance and witness statements reportedly placed Edge at the same dock Friday, the night before, suggesting he may have been scoping out the location.
When law enforcement searched his home, car, and boat — they found multiple firearms. It’s unclear how many were used in the attack.
Who Is Nigel Edge?
Edge is a former Marine who served from 2003 to 2009, received a Purple Heart, and claims to suffer from PTSD. He legally changed his name from Sean William DeBevoise in 2023 and has since been involved in a series of civil lawsuits, most of which were dismissed.
Despite some minor run-ins with the law, nothing in his past hinted at the kind of violence that unfolded that night.
