A tragic mass shooting unfolded late Saturday in North Carolina, when a gunman opened fire from a boat onto a busy waterfront bar. Authorities say three people were killed and at least eight others wounded at the American Fish Company in Southport, a popular gathering spot on the Cape Fear River.
The suspect approached the bar by water around 9:30 p.m., opened fire into the crowd, and then sped away on the Intracoastal Waterway, according to police. About 30 minutes later, a U.S. Coast Guard crew detained a man near Oak Island, roughly 12 miles away, after spotting him taking a boat out at a public ramp.
Photos: Scenes from a shooting at American Fish Company in Southport https://t.co/UuQDfGcbLm
— StarNewsOnline (@StarNewsOnline) September 28, 2025
Officials have not yet released the suspect’s identity or suggested a motive, but they emphasized that there is currently “no known further credible threat to the public.” Southport is located about 30 miles south of Wilmington.
The motto of the American Fish Company: Family, Friends, Freedom.
This shooting adds to a grim national toll: the U.S. has already experienced more than 320 mass shootings this year, as tracked by the Gun Violence Archive.