Police have charged a man with attempted second-degree murder after he allegedly attacked an unnamed victim with a hammer over a video game earlier in June.
A man is in custody on attempted second-degree murder charges after allegedly attacking another person with a hammer, police said. https://t.co/wAncn4zSWV
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 25, 2024
Edward Kang, 20, flew from Newark, New Jersey, to Jacksonville, Florida, with the motive to confront the victim regarding an altercation over an online fantasy video game, ArcheAge, according to Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper.
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Kang told his family that he was meeting a long-time friend he had met through video games, police said. He then arrived in Flordia and allegedly purchased a hammer and flashlight at a local Ace Hardware, according to police.
Kang allegedly entered the victim’s house through an unlocked door with his face, hands and body completely covered, then proceeded to attack the victim when the victim went to use the bathroom, police said. Kang and the victim had not previously met in person before the assault, according to Leeper.
The victim was able to fight Kang off and alert a stepfather, who called to police. Kang was restrained and disarmed by the victim and stepfather before deputies arrived, according to Leeper. (RELATED: The Issue With Linking Video-Game Violence To Real-World Violence)
The deputies “discovered a significant amount of blood” when they arrived at the scene in the victim’s bedroom and house entryway, Leeper said.
The victim was hospitalized with serious head injuries but has since been released. Kang was also taken to the hospital and then released into police custody, according to Leeper.
Kang was charged Sunday with armed burglary and attempted second-degree murder and is booked in the Nassau County Jail, according to Leeper.
Kang was asked about his motive for the assault, and he reportedly answered that the victim was a “bad person online,” said Leeper. Kang also asked Leeper how long his sentence would be for the crimes, and Leeper replied that it would be a long time before Kang could play video games again.
The game ArcheAge will no longer be accessible in the U.S. after Thursday due to the declining number of players according to ArcheAge’s publisher, reported by ABC7.
