Three killed in sail-by shooting after gunman opens fire on American Fish Company waterfront bar

Three people have been shot dead after a gunman fired indiscriminately at a crowded waterfront bar from a small boat.

At least eight other victims were wounded in the shooting at American FishCompany in Southport, a coastal town in North Carolina at 9.30pm on Saturday.

The gunman steered a small boat close to shore on the Cape Fear River, stopped and fired into the crowd before speeding away into the dark water.

Customers ran for safety as bullets whistled past their heads, witnesses said.

30 minutes later, a coastguard crew spotted a person matching the suspect’s description pulling a boat from the water at a ramp on nearby Oak Island.

The suspect was arrested and turned over to Southport police for interrogation.

A drinker at the bar expressed concern for an older gentleman dressed in a lederhosen who was standing next to her as shots rang out.

She said: ‘I had my back to the boat, a bullet went right by my head and he was standing in front of me.

‘Please tell me he’s okay. We ran away.’

Survivor Todd Weaver, posted on social media later, saying: ‘I’m alive and well but that was the scariest night.

‘I hope I never live through that again. We pray for the families and everybody who got injured.

‘I never want to see that again. This is not Southport. I hope they catch the guy.’

Authorities have not identified the suspect or said what might have led to the attack at the 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.

Southport is a city of about 4,300 people near the mouth of the Cape Fear River.