A 20-year-old New Jersey video gamer is jailed without bail on attempted murder charges after he allegedly flew to Florida to kill a rival gamer.
"This is a weird one," Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said at a news conference.
Edward Kang allegedly flew from Newark to Jacksonville on Thursday to attack a stranger he had gotten into an online fight over the fantasy game ArcheAge.
Police were called to a home about 2 a.m. Sunday for a report of a physical altercation.
Leeper says Kang went into the home through an unlocked door and attacked the victim with a hammer.
The victim's stepfather said he was awakened by screams for help. He said when he went to investigate he found his stepson and the attacker struggling on the floor over a hammer.
The father and son were able to wrestle away the hammer and subdue Kang until law enforcement arrived.
Deputies found a "significant amount of blood" in the entryway of the home and the victim's bedroom.
Investigators say that Kang flew a Delta Flight to Florida, took an Uber to a hotel and then went to an Ace Hardware store to buy a hammer and flashlight.
They say the victim was playing online early Sunday morning and had to use the bathroom. When he opened the bedroom door he was confronted by the attacker, wearing all black and a mask, with a hammer raised over his head.
During the attack and struggle the victim suffered serious head wounds but is expected to survive.
Along with the attempted murder charge, Kang also faces burglary charges according to jail records.
Leeper says Kang is "not cooperating" with the investigation but did say the victim was a "bad person online."
"It's going to be a long time before you play video games again," Leeper said of Kang.
