By Hanna Park, Zoe Sottile, CNN

(CNN) — A 40-year-old man is facing murder charges after allegedly pulling up on a boat to a waterfront bar in North Carolina Saturday night and opening fire, killing three and injuring at least eight others.

Nigel Edge was arrested Sunday and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, Southport Police Chief Todd Coring said at a Sunday morning news conference. Police think Edge acted alone and said the attack was “highly premeditated.”

The extent of all the injuries is unknown, but at least one of the victims “is now clinging for their life,” Jon David, district attorney for North Carolina’s Judicial District 5, said Sunday.

Additional charges are still possible, Coring said. Edge was taken into custody when the US Coast Guard encountered his boat after the attack, according to Oak Island Police Chief Charles A. Morris II, who added that the suspect is an Oak Island resident and known to police.

The shooting in a small, idyllic waterfront community adds to the growing list of bars, restaurants, shopping centers, schools and other venues in the US generally thought of as safe that have experienced gun violence. There have been at least 320 mass shootings – defined as when at least four people are shot, not including the shooter – in the US so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

“Evil has come ashore in Southport, North Carolina,” David said, describing the community as a place where violent crime is “virtually nonexistent.”

Just before 9:30 p.m., a boat approached the bar and the sole person onboard opened fire, city public information officer ChyAnn Ketchum said in a news release. The shooter then fled toward the nearby Intracoastal Waterway, heading in the direction of the neighboring community of Oak Island.

Many of the victims of the shooting appear to be out-of-towners on vacation, David said. The shooting unfolded at a waterfront deck, where people were “just enjoying live music under the stars,” he said.

“The thread that connects everyone who’s a victim in this case to this point just appears to be a love of having a good time and enjoying all that Southport has to offer,” he said.

David said the victims may be publicly identified Monday, after their families are notified.

“I’m heartbroken by the shooting last night in Southport that tragically took three lives and injured others,” North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said in a statement. He said he and his wife “pray for their families and friends. I have been in touch with state and local law enforcement, and the state will provide any support needed.”

“Southport is a small but strong community. May we all come together to support them as they heal from this horrific shooting,” Stein said.

Edge is set to appear in court on Monday. He’s being held without bond, according to the district attorney.

A motive has not been determined, but there is “no known further credible threat to the public,” the city release said.

Southport is located near the mouth of the Cape Fear River, roughly 30 miles south of Wilmington.

CNN reached out to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, the Coast Guard and American Fish Company for comment, and is working to identify if Edge has an attorney.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Dianne Gallagher contributed to this report.