FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — 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 announced during a news conference Monday.
Edward Kang, 20, is accused of flying from Newark Liberty International Airport to Jacksonville International Airport and assaulting a man in Fernandina Beach he got into an "online altercation" with.
Leeper said deputies responded to a residence in Fernandina Beach around 2 a.m. Sunday regarding a physical altercation between two people. Upon arrival, deputies found a "significant amount of blood" in the entryway of the home and in the victim's bedroom, the sheriff said.
The victim told deputies he was playing video games when he got up to use the restroom and saw Kang standing with a hammer in an "anticipated strike position." Kang's arrest report states the victim said he was struck once in the head, "but believed it to be several times."
The sheriff believes Kang got into the home through an unlocked door.
The victim's step-father told deputies he was awakened by "screams for help" and found his step-son on the ground, struggling with Kang who was carrying a hammer, according to Leeper. The victim and step-father disarmed Kang, the sheriff said, and restrained him until deputies arrived on the scene.
Both Kang and the victim were taken to the hospital and both have since been released. The victim suffered a "severe" head injury but was released from the hospital in non-life-threatening condition, Leeper said.
Leeper said although the injuries were non-life-threatening, investigators believe Kang intended to kill the victim.
The preliminary investigation revealed Kang and the victim never met in person before the alleged attack and only knew each other through the online fantasy video game ArcheAge. The sheriff did not provide many details regarding the "online altercation" that occurred between Kang and the victim, but said "something made the suspect want to come down to Florida and injure the other individual."
"Some things you just can't make up," said Leeper. "Some things that make you say 'What in the world was he thinking?'"
Kang's mother told investigators Kang said he was going to Florida to visit a friend he met online.
Arriving in Jacksonville early Friday morning, Leeper said Kang took an Uber from JAX to the Ocean Coast Hotel in Fernandina Beach and later went to Ace Hardware and purchased a hammer and flashlight.
"We found receipts for these items in his hotel room," Leeper said.
The sheriff added when investigators asked Kang why he did what he did, he said: "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 said. "We urge the public to exercise caution, report any suspicious online behavior to the authorities and always ensure their homes are securely locked."
Leeper said Kang is not cooperating with the investigation and has requested legal counsel. Kang is charged with second-degree attempted murder and armed burglary, his arrest report states.
The sheriff said all the provided information is preliminary and "may change" and Kang's charges could be upgraded pending the results of the investigation.