Gamer accused of flying across US to try to kill online rival

The Nassau County Sheriff's Office found this hammer with the suspect at the scene of the crime. A hardware store receipt was found in the suspect's hotel room. Photo / Nassau County Sheriff's Office

When Edward Kang left his New Jersey home last week, he told his mother he was on his way to meet a friend from gaming. After arriving in Florida, authorities say, he made his way to the home of an online rival and attacked him with a hammer over an argument they’d had while playing the fantasy role-play game “ArcheAge”.

Kang, 20, faces second-degree attempted murder charges in the incident that unfolded on Sunday morning in Fernandina Beach. He is being held in jail without bail, and he has requested the help of a public defender. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he received stitches and was later released.

Before the attack, officials said, the two had never before met in person.

“This is a weird one,” Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said in a news conference on Monday. “Some things you just can’t make up.”

An arrest report identified the victim as Zachary Dinh. Reached by phone on Wednesday, he declined an interview request. Attempts to Kang’s family were unsuccessful.

“ArcheAge”, the game where the two crossed paths, is set to shut down in Europe and North America on June 27 because of a declining number of active players, according to an April announcement from the company. The game allows players to use mythical avatars to fight battles against each other.

But Kang, officials say, brought the fight to reality.

He packed a small black bag and wore a black sweatshirt, pants and black Skechers as he headed to Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday. He flew Delta and landed in Jacksonville, Florida, checking into Ocean Coast Hotel on Fernandina Beach early on Friday morning.

Kang entered Dinh’s home with ease the night of June 22, passing through the gated neighbourhood unnoticed and arriving at the home where he found the front door unlocked, according to the arrest report. He brought some props with him: the hammer, a mask, a flashlight and gloves.

The victim was awake and gaming into the early morning hours leading up to the assault. He stepped away from his computer and returned to his bedroom to the surprise attack.

After Kang started striking him, Dinh fought back. He struggled to remove the hammer from Kang’s hands, and he screamed for help. His stepfather, Isaquiel Tavares, awoke to the screams.

Approaching Dinh’s bedroom, Tavares found Kang lying facedown on the floor and Dinh on top of Kang. Tavares disarmed Kang and held him down while he called 911 at about 2am on Sunday.

While waiting for the police to come, Tavares and Dinh asked Kang why he showed up at their house, according to the arrest report.

“He is a bad person online,” Kang responded.

When police arrived at the scene, they found a significant amount of blood at the entrance of the home and outside the bedroom. Upon their arrival, Kang allegedly asked, “How much time is breaking and entering and assault?”

Tavares told police he didn’t know Kang was inside the home and the family had never seen Kang before.

Kang was taken into custody and interviewed by police. He called his mother and his stepbrother. Officers used a language hotline to translate Kang’s conversations with his family while they spoke Korean. Kang admitted to his mother that he struck Dinh with a hammer, the arrest report said. Kang’s mother asked him if he went to the victim’s home to kill him. Kang said no.

He had his first appearance in court on June 24 and is set to return on June 27.

Toward the end of the Monday news conference, the sheriff addressed Kang directly.

“Mr Kang, it’s going to be a long time before you play video games again,” Leeper said.