SOUTHPORT, North Carolina (AP) — Three people were killed and at least eight others wounded late Saturday when someone opened fire from a boat into a crowd gathered at a waterfront bar in a coastal town in North Carolina, authorities said.

The shooting erupted about 9:30 p.m. near a popular stretch of bars and restaurants on Southport’s waterfront, a historic port town about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Wilmington. Investigators said the assailant piloted a small boat close to shore, stopped briefly and fired into the crowd before speeding away.