Administrative review and Rule 24 death‑penalty hearing set as case moves forward
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC — The man accused of killing three people and injuring several others in the 2025 Southport mass shooting is scheduled to appear in court twice this week as the case enters a critical phase.
According to the latest docket, Nigel Max Edge is set for an administrative hearing on Monday, April 6, followed by a Rule 24 hearing on Tuesday, April 7, in Brunswick County Superior Court.
The Rule 24 proceeding will determine whether prosecutors intend to pursue the death penalty.
A Rule 24 hearing is when prosecutors formally tell the court whether they plan to seek the death penalty in a first‑degree murder case. It doesn’t decide guilt, it simply determines whether the case will move forward as a capital case.
Edge, a 40‑year‑old Marine veteran, is charged with three counts of first‑degree murder, along with multiple counts of attempted first‑degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon, after investigators say he opened fire from a boat toward the American Fish Company bar on Sept. 27, 2025. A grand jury later returned 18 indictments, expanding the list of charges.
The April hearings were originally expected in February but were delayed after the defense requested additional time for a mental‑health evaluation. One doctor has already reported that Edge is unlikely to regain competence, a factor that may influence how the case proceeds.
Edge remains held without bond at the Brunswick County Detention Center.
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