A shooting at a waterfront restaurant in Southport, North Carolina, has left at least three dead and eight injured after an unknown suspect opened fire from a boat before fleeing the scene. The incident, which has prompted a citywide alert and emergency response, unfolded on Saturday night following a warning issued by the City of Southport.
According to authorities, the suspect approached the American Fish Company restaurant in a 23-foot single-engine outboard boat, which had been stationary for about an hour across from the restaurant before the shooting began. The vessel, described as a 23-foot single-engine outboard with a spotted dog on board, then fled up the Intracoastal Waterway toward Oak Island. The shooting resulted in three fatalities and eight injuries, according to the city’s public information officer, ChyAnn Ketchum.
Police and emergency services remained at the waterfront late Saturday, with authorities saying a person of interest had been detained and was being questioned. The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, along with multiple law enforcement agencies, is assisting Southport police in the investigation. Southport, a city of just over 4,100 residents, lies about 160 miles southeast of Raleigh and 32 miles south of Wilmington. The yacht basin sits on the Cape Fear River and is home to several riverfront restaurants, including the American Fish Company, which described itself as the town’s ‘best waterfront pub’ and had live music scheduled on its dock Saturday night.