A 20-year-old man was arrested for attempted murder after flying from New Jersey to Jacksonville to confront someone he met while playing an online video game, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said during a news conference on Monday.
Edward Kang, 20, is accused of flying from Newark Liberty International Airport to Jacksonville International Airport before beating a guy with whom he had an “online altercation” in Fernandina Beach. According to Leeper, deputies responded to a residence in Fernandina Beach at 2 a.m. Sunday for a physical fight involving two people. When deputies arrived, they saw “significant amounts of blood” in the home’s doorway and the victim’s bedroom, according to the sheriff.
The victim told deputies that he was playing video games when he got up to use the restroom and noticed Kang holding a hammer in an “anticipated strike position.” According to Kang’s arrest report, the victim claimed he was struck once in the head, “but believed it was several times.”
The sheriff believes Kang entered the home through an unlocked door.
According to Leeper, the victim’s stepfather told deputies that he was awakened by “screams for help” and discovered his stepson on the ground, wrestling with Kang, who was holding a hammer. According to the sheriff, the victim and stepfather disarmed and detained Kang until deputies arrived. Both Kang and the victim were transported to the hospital and have since been released. The victim sustained a “severe” head injury but was released from the hospital in stable condition, according to Leeper.
Leeper stated that, while the injuries were not life-threatening, detectives believe Kang intended to murder the man.
The preliminary inquiry indicated that Kang and the victim had never met in person before the alleged incident and only knew each other through the online fantasy video game ArcheAge. The sheriff did not go into much detail about the “online altercation” between Kang and the victim, but did say that “something made the suspect want to come down to Florida and injure the other individual.”
“Some things you just can’t make up,” Leeper explained. “Some things that make you say ‘What in the world was he thinking?'”
Kang’s mother informed investigators Kang stated that he was going to Florida to visit a friend he met online.
Kang arrived in Jacksonville early Friday morning and took an Uber to the Ocean Coast Hotel in Fernandina Beach before going to Ace Hardware to buy a hammer and a flashlight.
“We found receipts for these items in his hotel room,” firstcoastnews told us.
According to the sheriff, when investigators asked Kang why he did what he did, he responded, “He [the victim] is a bad person online.”
“This incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential real-world consequences of online interactions,” Leeper told reporters. “We urge the public to exercise caution, report any suspicious online behavior to the authorities, and always ensure their homes are securely locked.”
According to Leeper, Kang is not complying with the investigation and has sought legal advice. Kang is accused of second-degree attempted murder and armed burglary, according to his arrest record.
The sheriff stated that all of the presented information is preliminary and “may change,” and Kang’s charges may be enhanced pending the outcome of the inquiry.