Crime
Southport mass shooting victims identified
Southport, NC – On Saturday, September 27, 2025, at approximately 9:30 p.m., officers from the Southport Police Department responded to multiple 911 calls reporting shots fired with several victims injured at the American Fish Company, located at 150 Yacht Basin Drive, Southport, NC.
According to preliminary findings, a boat occupied by a single individual approached the venue and opened fire, striking multiple patrons.
Despite the swift response of emergency personnel, three victims sustained fatal injuries.
They have been identified as follows:
- Solomon Banjo, 36, of Charlottesville, VA
- Joy Rogers, 64, of Southport, NC
- Michael Durbin, 56, of Galena, OH
Authorities ask the public to respect the privacy of the victims’ families as they grieve this tragic loss.
The investigation remains active and ongoing, and additional updates will be provided by the City of Southport as more information becomes available.
The Southport Police Department extends its gratitude to the community for the support and cooperation shown since this tragedy.
Anyone who was present at American Fish Company on Friday, September 26, or Saturday, September 27, 2025, and who may have relevant information, photos, or videos is urged to contact the Southport Police Department at (910) 457-7911.
The suspect, identified as Nigel Max Edge, has been arrested and formally charged with the following offenses:
- Three counts of first-degree murder
- Five counts of attempted first-degree murder
- Five counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury
A probable cause hearing has been scheduled for October 13, 2025, at the Brunswick County Courthouse.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.