Tragedy at Southport: Waterfront Shooting from Boat Shakes Coastal Town

Three people were killed and eight wounded when a boat-borne assailant fired into a crowd at a waterfront bar in Southport, North Carolina. The suspect was detained shortly thereafter. The incident remains under investigation by local authorities and the State Bureau of Investigation.

In a shocking incident late Saturday, a gunman opened fire from a boat into a crowd at a waterfront bar in Southport, North Carolina, killing three and injuring eight others, local authorities reported.

The shooting occurred around 9:30 pm at the popular Southport waterfront, situated 48 km south of Wilmington. The suspect, using a small boat, approached the shore, fired into the crowd, and quickly fled the scene. Approximately half an hour later, a person matching the suspect's description was spotted by a US Coast Guard crew pulling a boat from Oak Island's public ramp and was detained for questioning.

The motive behind this attack remains unclear, and officials have not released the identities of the victims or the detained suspect. Multiple agencies, including the State Bureau of Investigation and the Coast Guard, are actively investigating the scene and gathering evidence.

(With inputs from agencies.)