North Carolina authorities say the highly premeditated ambush at a waterfront restaurant this past weekend, which tragically killed three people, might have originally been planned for the night before. Apparently, it was foiled by a single, accidental cellphone video. The gunman, Nigel Max Edge, 40, is accused of opening fire from a boat just off the deck of the American Fish Company in Southport on Saturday night.
The shooting killed three people, including a recently retired mother of three, Joy Rogers, and wounded eight more. According to a video obtained by People, the suspect may have first tried to carry out his attack on Friday night during a concert at the popular spot. The wife of local musician Dane Britt was outside recording a video of the performance when her camera picked up a boat lurking in the darkness of the water.
“She noticed a man on board who ducked behind something when she pointed the camera toward him,” Britt told the outlet. Britt said prosecutors now believe the man was Edge, lying in wait, and he is “absolutely convinced her filming made him call it off. That video saved lives”. Too bad we couldn’t save lives in every shooting.
A camera may have delayed a shooting
The following night, the suspect returned and carried out the deadly ambush. Authorities say Edge allegedly used a .300 Blackout Sig Sauer rifle equipped with a suppressor and scope, and was also carrying a .380 handgun.
Two deputies responded to the scene on a sheriff’s department boat after the shooting. They later spotted Edge as he walked to retrieve his boat trailer, and they detained him as he backed the trailer in to pull his vessel from the water.
The suspect is now facing three counts of first-degree murder, along with multiple counts of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. A judge denied him bond, citing him as both a flight risk and a danger to the community. He’s scheduled to return to court on October 13 for a probable cause hearing and has requested a public defender. Unfortunately, shootings seem to be the one thing that no one can fix.
Britt’s powerful personal reaction really drives home how lucky people were that Friday night. “Had she not been out there with that camera,” he said, “there’s no telling how many more people would be dead today”.
The community is now mourning the victims, including Rogers, who had recently moved to Southport from California to begin her retirement with her husband, Lennie. Her church community shared a statement saying, “She was a devoted wife, a loving mother and a friend to everyone she met”. In the wake of the tragedy, Police Chief Todd Coring revealed that Edge “self-identifies” as a veteran who was “injured in the line of duty” and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Published: Oct 1, 2025 06:10 pm