A Saturday night at a popular dockside bar turned deadly when a gunman opened fire from a passing boat, killing three people and injuring eight others in the small coastal town of Southport.
The attack happened around 9:30 p.m. on September 27 at the American Fish Company, a waterfront bar and restaurant located in the Southport Yacht Basin. City officials confirmed that shots were fired into the crowd from an unidentified vessel that pulled alongside the packed deck before speeding away.
“Three people were killed when someone opened fire on patrons at the waterfront bar from their boat,” a Southport spokesperson said in a late-night statement posted to social media. The spokesperson also noted that the suspect was last seen heading toward Oak Island and the Intracoastal Waterway.
The City of Southport issued an emergency alert shortly before 10 p.m., warning residents to avoid the area and remain in their homes as law enforcement responded. Police, along with Brunswick County deputies, swarmed the waterfront district, interviewing witnesses and searching the shoreline for clues.
City Manager Noah Saldo told the Star News that “the unidentified vessel pulled up to the American Fish Company restaurant … and opened fire into the crowd of unsuspecting diners.” Within minutes, the boat disappeared up the waterway.
Authorities say eight people were wounded in the shooting, but the extent of their injuries is still unknown. One person of interest has been taken in for questioning, though no arrests have been made. Investigators have not released information about a possible motive or what kind of weapon was used.
The normally peaceful fishing and boating community was left stunned. “People were just enjoying drinks and conversation on the deck when it happened,” one witness told WECT, describing a scene of panic as patrons dove for cover while bullets struck the wooden deck.
American Fish Company, which sits at the mouth of the Cape Fear River about 30 miles south of Wilmington, is a well-known spot for locals and tourists. On weekends, it often draws large crowds to its outdoor seating area overlooking the water.
Officials emphasized that this incident is part of a larger, troubling trend of gun violence in places where people typically feel safe. “The shooting in Southport adds to the growing list of bars, restaurants, shopping centers, schools, and other venues … that have experienced gun violence,” city spokesperson ChyAnn Ketchum noted.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 320 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, defined as incidents where at least four people were shot, not including the gunman.
Southport officials said more updates would be released as the investigation develops. For now, the community is mourning three lives lost and anxiously awaiting news on the injured, while law enforcement works to track down the gunman who fled under cover of night.