(USNewsMag.com) – A wannabe jihadist who attempted to kill multiple New York Police Department officers with a machete has received 27 years in prison for the attack, which also requires him to remain on lifetime supervision by federal authorities upon his eventual release. The aspiring terrorist in question is Trevor Bickford, a 20-year-old American citizen from Maine, who planned on committing a mass killing in New York City on New Year’s Eve. Bickford admitted to being a wannabe jihadist after his arrest and told media outlets he wanted to martyr himself for the Islamic State to inspire other potential terrorist attacks.
Bickford first started exploring Islamic extremism during the summer season of 2022, when he discovered propaganda from Islamic militant groups. After his initial exposure to extremist propaganda, Bickford began studying an extremist sect of Islam and read the Quran frequently, which prompted his mother to report him to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Despite Bickford’s mother’s attempt to warn federal authorities, the wannabe jihadist managed to obtain a foot-long machete and traveled to New York City, where he intended to carry out his attack.
Bickford started his attack in Times Square, where the radicalized Maine resident attacked three different police officers with the aforementioned machete. During the attack, Bickford screamed out various phrases associated with Islamic extremist attacks and targeted men whom he believed to be “military-aged.” According to Bickford, he planned to kill as many military-aged men as possible to inspire other jihadist attacks. Bickford injured the three different officers during the attack, but each survived with minor to severe injuries. The wannabe jihadist’s attack ended shortly after it began as one of the officers he attacked began shooting at Bickford, hitting him in the shoulder.
Although Bickford failed to kill anyone during the Times Square attack, the wannabe terrorist faced more than 120 years in prison if convicted and sentenced to a consecutive prison term for each offense. Bickford eventually decided to accept a plea deal for the lesser 27-year sentence, where he admitted to his involvement in the attack and shared information about his plan and his exposure to radical Islamic beliefs. Although the Manhattan federal court sentenced Bickford to 27 years for the Times Square attack, Bickford could spend more time in prison as he faces a separate case stemming from the same attack.
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