'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Wells, Maine-based teen Trevor Bickford was charged with attempted murder and assault after injuring two New York City police officers with a machete near Times Square on New Year’s eve.
On Monday, January 3, 2023, Trevor Bickford, 19, who is believed to be a proponent of Islamic extremist ideologies, was charged with two counts of attempted murder of an officer and two counts of attempted assault, officials said in a statement.
The teenager, who had traveled from Maine to New York on December 29, 2022, was investigated for possible ties to extremist groups in the weeks prior to the attack but was ultimately not charged with terrorism.
As per multiple media outlets, Bickford began propagating extremist ideologies following the death of his father in 2018.
Bickford was flagged on the FBI database after a relative alerted authorities to his frequent postings on social media about Islamic extremism.
Trevor Bickford attacked officers on New Year's eve
On December 31, 2022, around 10 pm, Trevor Bickford attacked two officers near Times Square, striking one of the officers in the head and causing minor injuries to the other before he was shot in the shoulder.
Law enforcement announced that Trevor Bickford, who reportedly penned a note in a diary to his family asking them to embrace Islam, will be charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and two counts of attempted assault. They added that they do not know when the suspect will be arraigned.
The diary found in the suspect’s backpack was reportedly left abandoned around the Times Square area at the time of the attack. Law Enforcement, who found the backpack, said that they also found other religious materials in addition to the diary with the last entry dated December 31, 2022. The note found in the diary reportedly contained instructions for his burial along with a personal message to his mother and brother. The note read:
“To my family — specifically, mother — I’m sorry for not having been a good enough son.”
The note continued:
“I fear greatly that you will not repent to Allah. And therefore I hold hope in my heart that a piece of you believes so that you may be taken out to the hellfire.”
Law enforcement will reportedly continue their investigation into the teen’s possible involvement with Islamic extremism. At a Sunday news conference, the FBI's Michael Driscoll said:
"I want to be clear that the FBI, through the Joint Terrorism Task Force, is working very closely with [NYPD] to determine the nature of this attack, "And we will run every lead to ground. I also want to be very clear, as you've heard said tonight previously, this is very much an ongoing investigation, so our ability to talk about specifics is limited."
Trevor Bickford was interviewed by the FBI in mid-December after he expressed an interest in visiting Afghanistan in social media posts. The teen also made statements indicating a desire to die for Islam.
Bickford’s relatives reportedly reported Bickford to law enforcement after they became increasingly concerned about his fervent obsession with Islamic extremism.
