SOUTHPORT, N.C. — 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.

Roughly half an hour later, a U.S. Coast Guard crew spotted a person matching the suspect’s description pulling a boat from the water at a public ramp on nearby Oak Island. The person was detained and turned over to Southport police for questioning, officials said.

Authorities have not identified the suspect or said what might have led to the attack. 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 say provide information on the conditions of those who were wounded.