New Jersey man flew to Florida and attacked online gamer with hammer, sheriff says

A New Jersey man flew to Florida and attacked another gamer he met online with a hammer, authorities said Monday.

Edward Kang, 20, is charged with attempted first-degree murder and armed burglary. The attack left the victim seriously injured, according to Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper.

“It’s a strange thing. Some things you just can’t make up,” Leeper said during a press conference announcing the arrest.

Kang flew from Newark Liberty International Airport to Jacksonville International Airport early Friday and took an Uber from there to the Ocean Coast Hotel in Fernandina Beach, authorities said.

After checking into the hotel, Kang bought a hammer and a flashlight at a hardware store, dressed all in black, wore gloves and a mask and entered his teammate’s unlocked home around 2 a.m. Sunday, the sheriff said.

“The victim’s stepfather reported waking up to cries for help,” Leeper said. “When he went to see what was going on, he found his stepson lying on the ground, struggling with the attacker, who was carrying a hammer.”

Leeper said he entered the house through an unlocked door.

Sheriff’s officials found “a significant amount of blood in the entryway of the home and in the victim’s bedroom,” Leeper said.

The sheriff described the two men as “about the same age” and said they met while playing ArcheAge, a multiplayer online role-playing game similar to World of Warcraft.

The two, who had apparently argued online, had never met in person, according to the sheriff.

“The suspect flew from Newark, New Jersey, to Florida, apparently to personally confront and kill the victim,” Leeper said.

Kang told investigators the victim was “a bad person on the internet” and asked, according to the sheriff, “How much time do you get for burglary and assault?”

Leeper said both Kang and the other man were taken to a local hospital

The man was treated for a serious head injury that was not considered life-threatening, Leeper said. Kang was treated for unspecified injuries and released into the custody of the sheriff’s office.

Kang was booked into the Nassau County Jail on Sunday. Information on Kang’s attorney was not immediately available.

Leeper said the investigation is ongoing and charges could be upgraded in the future.

Anthony G. Attrino can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.