SOUTHPORT, N.C. — A man accused of killing three people at a bar on the North Carolina coast Saturday night will stay behind bars with no bond.
Nigel Edge faced a judge Monday in Brunswick County on charges of murder and attempted murder.
Also on Monday, Gov. Josh Stein went to Southport where the shooting happened, which is south of Wilmington.
Stein talked about the mass shooting that left three people dead, and five others hurt.
“It was horrific,” he said.
Dozens were on a deck at the waterside bar, American Fish Company, listening to music when investigators said Edge, who was on a boat, armed with a short-barreled assault rifle, targeted the bar and opened fire.
“He really was shooting fish in a barrel, because If you ever look out there, it’s a pier where the end is, and his boat was right out there,” said resident Steve Emmons. “There’s nowhere for anybody to go.”
The Coast Guard helped take the suspected shooter into custody about 30 minutes later.
He’s a veteran who told police he suffers from PTSD, investigators said.
Stein thanked law enforcement for their quick response and said this was another example of why the state needs to focus on mental health.
“One thing is clear, we must do more to prevent these acts of violence,” Stein said. “We must fix our broken mental health care system.”
The Southport police chief said that they expect to release more details about the victims on Tuesday.
He said, at last check, all five people injured are still in a hospital. One is in critical condition.
Edge lives on nearby Oak Island where he was arrested at a boat ramp.
The police chief said they’re familiar with him and he’s filed several lawsuits against the town and the police department within the last couple years.
The district attorney confirmed Edge legally changed his name from “Sean Debevoise.”
In 2012, he escorted country music singer and Albemarle-native Kellie Pickler to the CMT Awards under that name.
Pickler shared a post on what was then Twitter referring to Sgt. Sean Debevoise as her date.
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