BRUNSWICK COUNTY — A Brunswick County grand jury has formally indicted the man accused of carrying out a deadly mass shooting at a Southport waterfront bar last fall.
Nigel Max Edge, 40, faces 18 felony counts, including three counts of first-degree murder.
Edge is charged in the Sept. 27, 2025, attack at the American Fish Company in Southport. He allegedly opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon from his boat parked adjacent to the bar and killed three people — 64-year-old Joy Rogers, 56-year-old Michael Durbin, and 36-year-old Solomon Banjo. Eight others were injured in the gunfire.
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Edge originally was charged with 13 felony counts, including 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.
The grand jury met Jan. 5 and following their session, added five more charges — two more counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault, and one count of discharging a weapon into an occupied property.
In North Carolina, convictions for first-degree murder carry a mandatory sentence of life without parole or the death penalty. For the additional 15 counts, Edge faces up to 40 years per count of attempted murder and about 19 years for each count of assault with a deadly weapon.
District Attorney Jon David previously characterized the shooting as “premeditated in nature” and a targeted act. David has gone on record saying he will assess the death penalty in the case.
Evidence presented in Edge’s first appearance indicate he may have attempted to target the venue the night before, but he left after a nearby boat pulled up with its lights on. Edge was apprehended by Oak Island Police Department officers less than an hour after the attack at the 55th Street boat ramp on Oak Island; at the time of his arrest, authorities seized a handgun and a short-barreled rifle equipped with a suppressor and scope.
A Marine veteran and Purple Heart recipient, Edge has a documented history of mental health struggles following combat injuries in Iraq, including a traumatic brain injury and PTSD. In the months leading up to the shooting, Edge filed several federal lawsuits alleging complex conspiracies against him involving various local institutions and individuals.
He remains held without bond at the Brunswick County Detention Center.
His next appearance is scheduled for an administrative hearing on Feb. 2 at 9:30 a.m. in Courtroom 6 of the Brunswick County Courthouse to respond to the indictment charges.
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