Gamer Allegedly Flies to Florida to Attack Man with Hammer Following Video Game Dispute, According to Police

A 20-year-old gamer from New Jersey is accused of flying almost 1,000 miles to attack another gamer with a hammer. 

This happened because they had an argument while playing video games online. 

Edward Kang was arrested in Florida and faces charges of attempted second-degree murder and armed burglary. 

According to court documents from Law&Crime, Kang flew from Newark Airport to Jacksonville to assault the victim, whom he had never met before.

On June 23, around 2 a.m., deputies from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in Fernandina Beach, Florida. 

They found a lot of blood near the door and leading into a bedroom. 

Kang and the victim were gone, but the victim’s stepfather told detectives that he woke up to his stepson screaming. 

When he went to check, he found his stepson lying on the floor with someone holding a hammer over him. 

The stepfather did not recognize this person and was not expecting anyone at the house.

At the hospital, the victim needed stitches for head injuries and explained what happened to investigators. 

He said he was playing an online game when he went to the bathroom. 

When he opened the door, Kang was standing there with a hammer raised. 

Kang hit him on the head, and they struggled until the victim managed to get the hammer away and call for help. 

The stepfather arrived and helped hold Kang until the police came.

The victim’s mother mentioned to police that they sometimes leave the door unlocked because they live in a gated community and feel safe.

After arresting Kang, deputies asked him why he attacked the victim. 

Kang reportedly said, “He is a bad person online,” and then asked about the legal consequences of breaking and entering and assault.

When deputies searched Kang’s motel room, they found a receipt for the hammer used in the attack from a Jacksonville hardware store. 

Kang’s mother told investigators that he left home on June 20, saying he was going on vacation with a friend he met in an online video game years ago.

Kang is now in the Nassau County Detention Center without bond and will appear in court on June 27.

During a news conference, Sheriff Bill Leeper explained that Kang and the victim knew each other from playing the game ArcheAge online. 

He added, “This is a bizarre case. Some things are just unbelievable. It makes you wonder, ‘What was he thinking?’”

Sheriff Leeper also commented, “Mr. Kang, you might not be playing video games for a long time.”

 

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