Nigel Max Edge: Why Sean DeBevoise, Kellie Pickler's CMT date is trending after Southport shooting

Nigel Max Edge was identified as the suspect who opened fire from a boat into a crowd gathered at American Fish Company at Southport Yacht Basin

Updated on: Sep 28, 2025, 20:49:54 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Nigel Max Edge was identified as the suspect who opened fire from a boat into a crowd gathered at American Fish Company at Southport Yacht Basin, North Carolina, on Saturday. The shooting, at around 9:30 PM local time, left at least three people dead and several others injured, authorities confirmed.

Nigel Max Edge was identified as the Southport, North Carolina shooting suspect (Brunswick County Sheriff's Office)

Southport city officials said Edge is from nearby Oak Island, and piloted a small boat close to shore, stopped briefly, and fired into the crowd before speeding away. The 40-year-old has been arrested on three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon, according to city spokeswoman ChyAnn Ketchum.

Now, several unverified claims about Nigel Edge have surfaced on social media. All of a sudden, the name ‘Sean DeBevoise’ and singer Kellie Pickler are trending.

What is behind the Sean DeBevoise-Kellie Pickler trend?

Social media users are claiming that Nigel Edge was formerly known as Sean William DeBevoise. HT.com cannot verify the authenticity of this claim yet. Officials did not mention a name change in their statement.

There is a previous mention of a Marine, named DeBevoise, going on a date with singer Kellie Pickler at the CMT Music Awards in 2012. Pickler had back then tweeted a photo of her escort. "Me and my date (Sgt Sean Debevoise).... ‪" she said. It is unclear if the date actually was Nigel Edge. Pickler has not reacted to the rumors on social media.

Authorities have not said what might have led to the attack at American Fish Company. Investigators from multiple agencies — including the State Bureau of Investigation and the Coast Guard — remained on the water and at the scene Sunday collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses.

Officials did not immediately release the names of those killed or provide information on the conditions of those who were wounded.

(With AP inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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