At least 3 dead and 8 wounded after boat pulls up and opens fire on marina restaurant
A gunman escaped on a boat after pulling up to a marina and opening fire on a group of restaurant goers, killing three individuals and injuring eight.
The gunman, whose identity is still unknown, pulled up to a popular tourist hotspot in Southport, North Carolina, between 9pm and 10pm on Saturday night, according to the city’s spokesperson, ChyAnn Ketchum.
Shots rang out near the American Fish Company, and the shooter then fled the scene on the water using the Intracoastal Waterway toward Oak Island.
Town officials issued an urgent warning to locals to avoid the area and remain in their homes.
They wrote in a Facebook post just before 10pm: ‘There are reports of an active shooter in the Southport Yacht Basin.
‘There is an unknown number of injuries. Avoid the area and remain in your homes.
‘Please report any suspicious activity immediately to 911.’
The boat was described as a ‘white center console boat.’
Emergency responders are at the scene of a shooting after a gunman began firing shots into the American Fish Company restaurant on Saturday night
Law enforcement’s flashing lights could be seen flashing in the distance in CCTV footage
Southport Police responded to the incident alongside the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office
Three people were reported dead and eight were injured
The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on social media that they were assisting the city of Southport with the incident. They were one of multiple law enforcement agencies responding.
They said: ‘Please keep all those affected, as well as our first responders, in your thoughts and prayers.’
As of 11.30pm a person of interest was being questioned, according to Star News, but no one is in custody.
During a press conference at 1am on September 28, Southport Police Chief Todd Coring said that they were working between two crime scenes: one where the shooting occurred, and another on Oak Island where the person of interest was being questioned.
As of 11.30pm a suspect was being questioned by police, but no one was in custody
The shooter pulled up the marina in a boat and escaped via the Intracoastal Waterway
The American Fish Company is a popular waterside spot and plays live music on Saturday nights
He said it is too soon to determine the motive. Extra police patrol was called to Southport.
He added: ‘Just know you are as safe as you can be right now.’
There is no longer an active threat to the community.
Southport, NC is about 30 miles south of Wilmington, NC on the Cape Fear River.
The yacht basin from which the suspect fired is on the southeastern corner of the state, ‘where the Intracoastal Waterway, Cape Fear River and Atlantic Ocean converge,’ according to NBC.
American Fish Company boasts itself as one of the neighborhoods ‘favorite hangouts.’ On Saturdays their live band Bacon Grease takes the stage from 7pm to 10pm.