The historic port town of Southstock, North Carolina, a community where everyone knows everyone, is reeling from a tragic mass shooting that unfolded in a terrifying and unusual way, allegedly at the hands of a man named Nigel Max Edge.
On the evening of Saturday, September 27, 2025, the calm of the waterfront was shattered not by a shooter on foot, but by one on a boat. Three people lost their lives, and at least eight others were injured when a gunman, positioned in a single-engine white center-console boat, opened fire on patrons at the popular American Fish Company restaurant. The suspect didn’t confront his victims face-to-face; he pulled up to the Southport Yacht Basin, a bustling tourist spot where the Intracoastal Waterway meets the Cape Fear River, and unleashed gunfire from the water before speeding away into the night. The peaceful image of this coastal haven was broken in an instant.
In the hours that followed, a frantic search led law enforcement across the water. The city of Southport initially urged people to shelter in place, but by early Sunday, officials announced a person of interest was in custody. The break in the case came about half an hour after the shooting, when a sharp-eyed U.S. Coast Guard crew spotted someone matching the shooter’s description loading a boat at a public ramp on neighboring Oak Island. The individual was swiftly detained and turned over to the Southport Police Department for questioning, with the help of the State Bureau of Investigation. While the immediate threat was neutralized, the profound shock and grief for this tight-knit community were just beginning to set in.
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The Suspect: A Complex Portrait of Nigel Max Edge
Though authorities have not yet officially confirmed the identity of the suspect in their custody, a name has circulated widely and rapidly across social media: Nigel Max Edge. According to court documents cited by local news, a man by that name has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon. He was scheduled for a court appearance on Monday, September 30.
Online investigators and community members have pieced together a complex and troubled background for the alleged shooter. It appears that Nigel Max Edge was formerly known as Sean William DeBevoise. Public records and social media profiles suggest he is a former U.S. Marine who served after the 9/11 attacks and was deployed to Iraq.
His life after service, as he described it online, was marked by severe trauma and conflict. He claimed to have sustained significant injuries in Iraq, including a gunshot wound to the head from friendly fire, and stated he was later diagnosed with schizophrenia and cognitive disorders. He self-published a memoir titled “Headshot: Betrayal of a Nation,” in which he made sweeping accusations against the U.S. military.
🚨UPDATE: The alleged shooter is named Nigel Max Edge, who recently changed his name from Sean DeBevoise.
Nigel Max Edge opened fire at the American Fish Company restaurant at the Southport Yacht Basin in North Carolina, killing three people and injuring nine. pic.twitter.com/4bIIwGgMir
— Algovich (@Algovich_) September 28, 2025
His online presence was a catalog of grievances, filled with lawsuits filed against various government entities, including the U.S. government, the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Department, and the Oak Island Police Department, alleging wide-ranging civil rights violations and bizarre conspiracies. He was a local figure, an Oak Island resident, and a fisherman who had once raised money through a GoFundMe campaign to buy the very boat now at the center of this tragedy.
As for his Facebook, a profile under the name “Nigel Max Edge” was identified by online users. The profile allegedly featured photos of him with a spotted dog, which matched witness accounts of a dog on the shooter’s boat.
A Long Road to Healing
As Southport begins the painful process of healing, many questions remain unanswered. The motive for the horrific attack is still unknown, and the investigation, involving multiple federal and state agencies, continues. The fact that the suspect’s boat was reportedly stationary in the water for nearly an hour before the shooting started adds another layer of chilling premeditation to the event.
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For the families of the three victims who were killed and the at least eight people wounded, the journey ahead is unimaginably difficult. The city has promised that the victims’ names will not be released until their families have been notified, a small gesture of respect in the face of an overwhelming loss. While the suspect is in custody and the immediate danger has passed, the emotional scars on this small community will last far longer, a tragic reminder of an evening when violence visited a quiet waterfront from the water itself.
