Following a deadly shooting in Southport Saturday night, Governor Josh Stein appeared alongside other officials to comfort the community.
The shooter opened fire on the American Fish Company restaurant from a boat on the water, killing three people. Five other victims have been taken to area hospitals for medical care. None of the victims’ names have been released, though one is reportedly clinging to life.
Stein said the community of Southport isn’t grieving alone: the entire state is grieving this violent act.
“I'm heartbroken for the families of the three people who lost their lives in this terrible incident. [First Lady] Anne [Stein] and I are praying for those who are injured for a full and immediate recovery, to the victims, victims' families, and the people of Southport, I urge you to lean on each other in this wonderful community that you all have built here," Stein said.
In response to a reporter’s question, Stein said a red flag law, like that called for by Democrats in the latest crime bill in the legislature, would be a good idea.
Red flag laws allow a judge to temporarily remove weapons from a person deemed threatening by the community. But Stein also suggested there were other opportunities to address the issue, as well.
“We need to have a greater integration in our criminal justice system with our mental health care system, because usually it's law enforcement that is the first point of contact with people, either because they get repeated phone calls about a person who may be a risk. But it's not enough to just know that somebody may be a challenge. We've then got to be able to connect that person with the treatment that they need to address whatever their underlying conditions are," Stein said.
Stein said the state government is conducting a systematic analysis of the mental health care system in response to the shooting.
A suspect has been arrested and charged in the shooting: Forty-year-old Nigel Edge had his first appearance in court today. He was 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 is being held without bond. District Attorney Jon David has not ruled out seeking the death penalty, telling reporters at a press conference on Sunday that his office will consider it.
Edge, formerly known as Sean DeBevoise, is a decorated retired U.S. Marine who suffered a traumatic brain injury in Iraq in 2006. Local law enforcement said they were "familiar" with Edge, who filed several nuisance suits against the police department in Oak Island, although officials stated that he had no significant criminal history.
