The man accused of killing three people in a mass shooting at an outdoor bar in Southport is scheduled for two court hearings next week.
WECT reports that court records indicate Nigel Edge has an administrative hearing on Monday and a Rule 24 motion hearing on Tuesday.
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Edge is accused of opening fire on patrons at the American Fish Company from his boat in September, killing three people and injuring several others.
The Rule 24 hearing will determine whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Edge if he is found guilty.
District Attorney Jon David said days after the shooting, his office was open to exploring the death penalty.
“My office does seek it in appropriate cases,” David said.
The Rule 24 hearing was originally scheduled for February, but Edge’s defense attorney said they needed more time to conduct another mental evaluation.
David said Edge had already been evaluated twice, with at least one doctor saying Edge was “unlikely to regain competence.”
A person in North Carolina cannot be sentenced to death if they are deemed mentally incompetent.
Investigators have said Edge is an Iraq War veteran who suffers from significant mental health issues.
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