Man who allegedly flew to Florida to attack gamers with hammer after online argument charged with attempted murder

A man is in custody on suspicion of attempted premeditated murder after allegedly attacking another person with a hammer, police said Monday.

Edward Kang, 20, allegedly flew from Newark, New Jersey, to Jacksonville, Florida, to confront the unnamed victim following an argument involving the online fantasy video game ArcheAge, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said at a news conference.

“It’s a strange thing,” Leeper said. “Some things make you say, ‘Hmm.’ Some things you just can’t make up. Some things make you say, ‘What on earth was he thinking?’ And some things make you say, ‘You’re not going to believe this.’ This case makes you make all four of those statements.”

Leeper said Kang flew from Newark Liberty International Airport to Jacksonville International Airport and had been staying at the Ocean Coast Hotel in Fernandina Beach since Friday. Once in Florida, Kang went to a hardware store and bought a hammer and flashlight, Leeper said. Receipts for the items were found in his hotel room.

According to Leeper, Kang was able to enter the victim’s Fernandina Beach home because the front door was unlocked. Kang, wearing all black clothing, gloves and a mask, attacked the victim and the two eventually wrestled on the ground, the sheriff said.

Officers were called to the home by the victim’s stepfather, who reported waking up to his stepson’s cries for help. He told police he found his stepson lying on the floor, struggling with Kang.

Police found “significant amounts of blood” in the entrance area of ​​the house and in the victim’s bedroom, Leeper said.

Both Kang and the victim were taken to an area hospital. The victim suffered “serious head injuries” but were not life-threatening, Leeper said. He has since been released from the hospital. Kang was released into the custody of the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.

Kang allegedly told an officer that the victim was “a bad person on the internet,” Leeper said, and asked how much time in prison he would face for burglary and assault.

“I would say, ‘Mr. Kang, it’s going to be a long time before you play video games again,'” Leeper said.

Kang is not cooperating with the investigation and remains in the Nassau County Jail, Leeper said. Jail records show that in addition to attempted second-degree murder, Kang has been charged with armed burglary, both of which are serious felonies.

Leeper said the incident shows us that online disputes can spill over into the real world, stressing that people should be cautious online, report suspicious behavior and keep their homes well locked.