New Jersey player flies to Florida to attack another player with hammer

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A dispute over online gaming spilled into the real world when a New Jersey man flew to Florida to attack another gamer with a hammer, authorities said.

Edward Kang, 20, is charged with attempted second-degree murder and armed burglary while wearing a mask, according to Nassau County court records. He was arrested early Sunday morning.

“I just want you to know that this is a strange thing,” Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said during a news conference Monday. “Some things you just can’t make up.”

Kang and the victim, another young man about Kang’s age, had never met in real life, but both played ArcheAge, a medieval fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Leeper said. The game’s publisher had announced in April that it would shut down servers in Europe and North America on June 27, citing a declining number of active players.

Kang flew from Newark, New Jersey, to Jacksonville, Florida, last Thursday after telling his mother he was going to visit a friend he met while playing video games, officials said. Officials did not say how Kang learned the victim’s residence. After arriving, Kang took an Uber to a hotel in Fernandina Beach, about 35 miles north of Jacksonville, and then bought a hammer at a local hardware store, officials said.

Kang went to the victim’s Fernandina Beach home, which was unlocked, around 2 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. The victim was leaving his bedroom when he was attacked by Kang, who hit him in the head with the hammer, officials said. The two wrestled while the victim called for help. His stepfather responded and helped restrain Kang until police arrived.

The victim suffered multiple head injuries, but they were not considered life-threatening, officials said. He was treated with staples at the hospital.

While in custody, Kang told investigators the victim was a “bad person on the internet,” officials said. He also asked officials how long one gets in prison for burglary and assault.

“I would say, Mr. Kang, it will be a long time before you play video games again,” Leeper said.

No attorney was listed for Kang in online court records. He was being held without bail.