Across the world, many people celebrated on Saturday night, ringing in the turn of the year from 2022 to 2023. It’s common for people to gather in bars, stadiums, outdoors, and in other settings to enjoy live music, fireworks, and additional festivities.
Unfortunately, during periods of celebration and big gatherings, there can also be bad characters looking to cause problems.
Those who wish to stir up trouble often do so during times when most people least expect it. The element of surprise, in this manner, has also been known to cause a substantial bit of damage.
Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened on Saturday night in New York City, according to the New York Post.
What to Know About the NYE Attack
Saturday night’s attack happened in Times Square during the city’s annual NYE ball drop. 19-year-old Maine resident Trevor Bickford is the suspect believed to have been radicalized by Islam.
Amid news of Bickford wielding a machete to attack New York City police officers, news has broken that he was already on the FBI watchlist. Bickford landed on this watchlist after relatives informed authorities of his professed interest to take up arms with radical Islamists in Afghanistan.
The suspect accused of attacking police officers with a machete near the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square has been identified as a Muslim extremist. Trevor Bickford, who frequented a mosque near his Maine home, took a train to NYC. https://t.co/b6yQHQkfmR pic.twitter.com/xmpYc13Rsw
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) January 1, 2023
Apparently, the authorities were also surveilling the 19-year-old’s phone, computer, and internet history. Sadly, it was not enough to prevent the senseless attack from transpiring on Saturday night.
Officers hurt in the attacks suffered head gashes, fractured skulls, and other injuries; though they are thankfully expected to recover. Bickford was finally stopped when one of the police officers on the scene shot him mid-attack.
Not the First Time
Unfortunately, what happened in New York on Saturday night is not the first time an individual known to the authorities has caused this degree of harm, if not more.
There are many cases of mass shooters in the United States having repeated run-ins with police or being reported to the authorities for previous concerning behavior.
Saturday’s attack begs to question what could have been done differently in order to prevent Bickford’s needless onslaught.
United States: 19-year-old Jihadi Trevor Bickford stabbed two NYPD cops in head with a machete on New Year's Eve near Times Square.
"He was being watched by the FBI as earlier he had expressed interest in going to Afghanistan to join Islamic Militants"
+ pic.twitter.com/MBsjmJPNYo— Ashwini Shrivastava (@AshwiniSahaya) January 2, 2023
Likewise, it’s worth asking what future steps can be taken so individuals who show warning signs of disturbing behavior don’t go on to carry out attacks against others later down the line.
Public safety has already taken hits in recent years, amid left-wing efforts to defund the police, lighten bail laws, and otherwise go easy on serious offenders.
In New York City, particularly, crime has become a very real issue as the amount of on-board police officers dwindles.
What do you think could have been done to prevent the attack on three New York City police officers on New Year’s Eve? Please feel free to share your findings and feedback with us in the comments section.
This article appeared in The Conservative Brief and has been published here with permission.
