Marine Veteran Charged in Fatal Dockside Shooting at North Carolina Restaurant
A former Marine sergeant with a distinguished military record has been charged with murder after a shooting from a boat left three people dead and eight injured at a coastal North Carolina restaurant. Nigel Edge, 39, was arrested Saturday night following the incident at the American Fish Company saloon in Southport, according to police statements.
The shooting occurred around 9:30 p.m. local time when a man aboard a vessel traveling along the Cape Fear River briefly stopped at the dockside establishment and opened fire before continuing his journey by boat. Southport police reported that approximately thirty minutes later, the Coast Guard observed an individual matching the shooter's description loading his boat at a public boat ramp, leading to his arrest.
Authorities have identified Edge as a combat veteran who served in the Marine Corps from September 2003 to June 2009, completing two deployments to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 and 2006. Military records show he received numerous awards including the Purple Heart medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct medal, Combat Action ribbon, and Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze stars. His last military assignment was at the Wounded Warrior Battalion East in Camp Lejeune.
Court documents reveal that Edge, who changed his name from Sean DeBevoise in 2023, had previously filed a lawsuit against country singer Kellie Pickler earlier this year, alleging she attempted to poison him over a decade ago when they attended the CMT Music Awards together in 2012. Police have stated there are no other credible threats to the public following Edge's arrest, with multiple agencies continuing to assist with security in the area.
