Nigel Edge, who allegedly killed three people and wounded eight more in a Southport, N.C., shooting on Saturday (Sept. 27), has a connection to country music.
According to a report from TMZ, Edge changed his name from Sean DeBevoise in 2023.
Years before that, back in 2012, he attended the CMT Music Awards as Kellie Pickler‘s date.
At the time, he walked the red carpet with Pickler along with his service dog, Rusty.
How Do Nigel Edge and Kellie Pickler Know Each Other?
The two connected at a North Carolina charity event before the CMTs, and Pickler — a longtime staunch supporter of the U.S. military and its veterans — was touched by his story of being near-fatally injured during his service.
DeBevoise invited Pickler to a gala celebrating veterans and the military community, but she had to decline because of a conflict with a USO Tour she had booked. Instead, she asked him to join her as her date at the CMTs.
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“I am ecstatic about being here at the CMT Music Awards with Kellie,” DeBevoise said at the awards show, “even more to consider her a friend. She is the most sincere person I know. She is an angel.”
Why Did Nigel Edge Sue Kellie Pickler?
TMZ reports that in February 2025, DeBevoise — who, at that point, had changed his name to Nigel Edge — sued Pickler, claiming she tried to kill him at the awards show.
According to TMZ, court documents claim that Pickler handed him a poisoned glass of Jim Beam while they were at the CMTs. He says that he didn’t drink it.
In a separate claim, Edge has reportedly accused North Carolina’s Brunswick Medical Center of trying to kill him, too.
What Happened During This Weekend’s Shooting in North Carolina?
According to ABC 11, Edge allegedly opened fire with an assault rifle on a waterfront bar in Southport, N.C.
The incident occurred around 9:30PM on Saturday (Sept. 27), when someone aboard a boat coming up Cape Fear began shooting at the outdoor bar area of an establishment called the American Fish Company.
Three people were killed and eight were injured in the massacre.
The boat then fled up the Intracoastal Waterway, according to police reports. Coast Guard officials spotted a man matching the description of the shooter loading a boat at a public boat ramp on Oak Island, and they detained Edge until police arrived and took him into custody.
Edge has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted first-degree murder, according to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. He is currently being held without bail.
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes