A man was stabbed seven times and hit with a mallet after an argument broke out over the fantasy card game Magic: The Gathering.
According to a statement from police in St Cloud, Minneapolis, a 20-year-old man was attacked by 31-year-old Elija Creech after they got into an argument at an apartment where they had been playing the card game.
CBS reports that Creech hit the man with a rubber mallet in the face before stabbing him in the front, sides and back of the neck - a total of seven times.
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Thirty-one-year-old Creech called police and told them he thought his victim was going to die. Credit: Benton County Jail
Police said: "The suspect called 911 and said he feared his card-playing rival was going to die from seven stab wounds inflicted all around the victim's neck and to one cheek and wounds from the rubber mallet blow inflicted to the younger man's head."
According to KNSI, Creech told cops: "I stabbed him in the neck between C3 and C4 vertebrae and he should die."
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The man was rushed to hospital, where medics have reportedly said his injuries were 'substantial' but are not thought to be life-threatening.
Police said the argument broke out over a game of Magic: The Gathering on Friday night. Credit: Magic: The Gathering
Sergeant Jason Burke said Creech has a criminal history for possession of explosives and other hazardous materials, WJON reports.
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The St. Cloud Fire Department of Hazardous Materials Response Team were sent to Creech's apartment to carry out air quality tests, and check for potentially hazardous substances in the air, but they all came back clean.
Police arrested Creech, who is now facing charges of first and second degree assault.
The fantasy card game was created in the 90s and is still popular today. Credit: WikiMedia/Creative Commons/Andre Engels
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Magic: The Gathering is a trading card game, which can be played by two or more players and involves a 'battle' between 'wizards' who use spells, creatures and objects shown on the cards to defeat their opponent.
The game is reported to have around 20 million players worldwide.
Featured Image Credit: Benton County Jail