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Xbox Stabbing Gets Teen Gamer Arrested

By Andrew Chow, Esq. on August 03, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

An Xbox stabbing and shooting after an online dispute sent a 20-year-old California gamer to the hospital, Sacramento's KOVR-TV reports.

The alleged attacker, a 17-year-old boy, was arrested on suspicion of burglary and attempted murder. Prosecutors plan to charge the teen as an adult.

The victim, Kevin Kemp of Oakley, Calif., says he and the boy were family friends who played video games over Xbox Live, which allows players to interact via headsets.

But a virtual-reality argument turned all too real.

The dispute that led to the Xbox stabbing and shooting had nothing to do with a video game, Kevin Kemp told KOVR, but it somehow led to him laying down the gauntlet.

"I'm like, 'Bro, if you want to do this, come over to my house and we'll do this right now,'" Kemp recounted.

Kemp's 17-year-old gaming buddy apparently stepped up to the challenge. The teen allegedly burst into Kemp's home with a knife and handgun, shoving Kemp's startled mother aside.

The boy "walks up to my room and he points the gun right at me and takes out the clip and shows his bullet, puts it back in the gun, ... and he shot it and it went right past my head," Kemp told KOVR.

The teen then allegedly stabbed Kemp 22 times. You can watch Kemp's interview here:

Kemp's alleged attacker faces charges that may seem out of place. But while burglary is usually associated with theft, the crime actually covers any breaking and entering into another person's home with the intent to commit a crime inside. The boy's alleged barging into Kemp's home with the intent to attack seems to fit.

The attempted murder charges may be more difficult to prove, as they require an intent to kill. In a case like Kevin Kemp's Xbox stabbing and shooting, a defense lawyer may try to argue the attacker only intended to wound or scare the victim. We'll have to wait and see what happens in this case.

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