A 20-year-old online gamer was charged with attempted murder after allegedly flying cross-country to attack his digital rival in real life.
Gamer gets attempted murder over online fight
Edward Kang traveled from Newark, New Jersey, to Jacksonville, Florida, to pick a real fight over an online spat, according to Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper.
Kang was charged with second-degree attempted murder and attempted burglary on Monday, court records indicate.
Sheriff Leeper remarked, “I just want to let you know, this is a weird one…some things you just can’t make up.”
“There’s some things that make you say, ‘What in the world was he thinking?’ And there are some things that make you say, ‘You’re not going to believe this.’ This case makes you say all four of those,” he added.
The victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, informed police that he had just taken a break from sitting in front of his screen, when he discovered Kang standing with a hammer raised above his head, ready to strike.
The victim’s stepfather was awakened by his screams for help and allegedly discovered his stepson on the floor trying to fight off Kang, who was over him.
“The victim and the stepfather managed to disarm Kang and restrain him until our deputies arrived on scene,” Leeper noted.
Deputies responded to an emergency call early Sunday morning and discovered a “significant amount of blood” in the residence’s entrance, as well as the victim’s bedroom.
Their initial findings suggest that Kang did not personally know the victim, only his digital identity in a fantasy video game called ArcheAge.
20-year-old gamer charged with attempted murder for IRL attack
As Kang is not cooperating with with police at this time, he did not tell investigators about the nature of the online dispute, but Leeper noted that the pair are “around the same age.
Police eventually discovered that Kang had informed his family he was traveling to see an old friend when he flew out of New Jersey.
He touched down in Jacksonville, Florida last Friday, then took an Uber from the airport to a hotel in Fernandina Beach.
After checking in at the hotel, Kang bought a hammer and a flashlight at an ACE Hardware store, which police were able to determine from his receipt.
A day later, Kang, who was dressed like a villain in an all back get-up, paired with a mask and gloves, is believed to have breached the victim’s residence through an unlocked door.
When questioned after being caught committing a heinous crime, Kang reportedly said his motivation was that the victim is “a bad person online.”
He also inquired how much jail time one would receive for both an assault charge, along with breaking and entering.
“I would say Mr. Kang, it’s going to be a long time before you play video games again,” Leeper shot back.
“This incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential real-world consequences of online interaction,” Leeper warned.
“We urge the public to exercise caution, report any suspicious online behavior to the authorities, and always ensure that their homes are securely locked.”
The victim received treatment for severe but non-life-threatening head wounds, Leeper added.
Ironically, the ArcheAge dispute will be inconsequential as of Friday, when the company shuts down their North American servers due to a decline in player numbers, according to the game’s website.
Kiss of death assault
In another wild incident, a 36-year-old man from South Carolina attempted to chop off someone’s nose with a samurai sword after witnessing the man kissed a relative in a gas station parking lot.
Peter Michael Anthony Tighe was arrested early Saturday morning outside a Circle K convenience store in Myrtle Beach after reportedly losing his mind when the victim kissed a relative.
According to the Independent, his sword skills were well honed, and he took a good chunk off the man’s face.
“[The victim] had a large piece of skin flapped off his nose and was hanging,” stated the Horry County police report.
Officers responded to the scene on Highway 707 shortly after midnight Saturday and found the victim with a significant laceration to his nose.
The man told officers he was cut with a katana sword, a traditional Japanese blade wielded by samurai.
The outlet reported that Tighe was eventually located in his hiding spot in the women’s bathroom at the convenience store and was subsequently arrested.
Tighe has been charged with aggravated assault and battery and is being held on a $15,000 bond.
He has a laundry list of prior arrests for assault and battery, trespassing, and malicious injury.
