Tragedy struck a popular waterfront bar in North Carolina Saturday night when a gunman on a boat opened fire, leading to the deaths of three individuals and injuring at least eight others, as reported by local officials.
The shooting occurred at the American Fish Company in Southport, where authorities apprehended one suspect in connection to the incident, according to city public information officer ChyAnn Ketchum. Details about the nature and severity of the injuries remain unclear.
This incident adds to the alarming trend of gun violence in places generally seen as safe, including bars, restaurants, shopping centers, schools, and other public spaces across the US. As of this year, there have been over 320 mass shootings in the country, where at least four victims, excluding the shooter, have been involved, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
The horrifying events unfolded just before 9:30 PM when the suspect, the only passenger on the boat, fired shots toward the crowd and subsequently fled towards the Intracoastal Waterway, showing a direction toward the adjoining Oak Island community.
About half an hour later, a crew from the US Coast Guard apprehended an individual fitting the shooter’s description while loading another boat at a public ramp in Oak Island.
This person is currently in custody of the Oak Island police and is expected to be transferred to Southport enforcement for further questioning, aided by investigators from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
Authorities have not yet established a motive for the shooting, but they assured the public that there is “no known further credible threat.”
Southport, the site of this devastating incident, lies near the Cape Fear River’s mouth, approximately 30 miles south of Wilmington.
CNN has reached out to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, American Fish Company, and the Coast Guard for more information on this disturbing event.
This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
