New Jersey man flew to Florida to kill fellow gamer after online dispute, police say

A New Jersey man was charged with attempted murder and burglary after investigators said he flew to Florida and assaulted a man with a hammer over a dispute stemming from a video game.

Edward Kang, 20, was arrested early Sunday morning, after investigators said he broke into the Fernandina Beach, Florida home of the victim to “confront a player he met in a video game,” Nassau County Sherriff Bill Leeper said in a press conference on Monday.

'This is a weird one'

While Kang and the victim had never met in person, sheriff's department investigators believe they were acquainted with each other through the online roleplaying video game ArcheAge.

“This is a weird one,” Leeper said on Monday.

According to arrest documents, Kang allegedly flew from New Jersey to Jacksonville, Florida on June 20, telling his mother that he was travelling to visit a friend he had met through an online video game.

Kang then allegedly broke into the victim’s home late Saturday evening or Sunday morning. When the victim got up to take a break from gaming and use the bathroom, Kang confronted him, “standing with a hammer raised in the air,” police said.

The victim was struck in the head several times and received what Leeper describes as “severe, but non-life-threatening wounds.”

The victim's stepfather was awakened by the screams for help and helped disarm and subdue Kang, Leeper said.

Suspect: 'He was a bad person online'

Sheriff’s deputies, who “observed a substantial amount of blood located near the entry way and into a bedroom,” of the house when responding, booked Kang into the Nassau County Jail, where he was charged with armed burglary and attempted second-degree murder.

According to arrest documents, when Kang was asked by the victim’s stepfather and an arresting sheriff’s deputy about a possible motive, he stated “he was a bad person online.”

ArcheAge, the game behind the alleged attempted murder, is a Korean-developed massive multiplayer online role-playing game. In April, the game’s developers announced that it would be shutting down on June 27 due to a steadily declining active user base.  

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com