A New Jersey Asian man flew to Florida and attacked another player with a hammer in a dispute over an online game. The man has been arrested by Florida police and charged with attempted second-degree murder and armed burglary.
The incident, according to Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper, is believed to have stemmed from an online game dispute between 20-year-old Edward Kang from Montvale, New Jersey, and the victim whom he met through an online game but had never met in person before. Kang told his family that he was going to meet a friend he knew from online video games years ago.
Kang flew from Newark, New Jersey, to Jacksonville, Florida, and arrived at a hotel near the victim’s home last Friday at around 2 a.m. He then purchased a hammer and a flashlight nearby.
On June 23 at around 2 a.m., Kang entered the victim’s home in Fernandina Beach through an unlocked door. The victim, who was playing video games in his room, got up to use the restroom and was attacked by Kang, who was dressed in all black with gloves and a mask, wielding a hammer that caused the victim to sustain head injuries and bleeding.
The victim’s stepfather was awakened by screams and found his stepson on the ground fighting with the attacker. Together, they managed to restrain Kang until the police arrived.
Upon police arrival, they discovered a significant amount of blood at the entrance of the house and in the victim’s bedroom. The victim suffered “serious” head injuries during the attack but has since been discharged from the hospital.
Kang is detained at Nassau County Jail in Florida on charges of attempted second-degree murder and armed burglary, with investigations ongoing and possible additional charges.
When asked about the motive for the attack, Kang told the police that the victim was a “bad guy online”.
The victim and the suspect reportedly met through the online video game “ArcheAge”. The South Korean multiplayer online role-playing game’s publisher announced in April that the game ceased operations in the United States on Thursday due to a decline in active players.
Sheriff Leeper warned that “this incident serves as a clear reminder that online interactions can have real-world consequences. We urge the public to remain vigilant, report any suspicious online behavior to authorities, and always ensure that doors and windows at home are securely locked.”