CT Man Threatened Harlem Killing Spree After Barnard Death

HARLEM, NY — A Connecticut man was arrested after making online threats about committing a hate-fueled killing spree targeting black people in Harlem in retaliation for the murder Barnard College freshman Tessa Majors, Connecticut State Police announced.

Trevor Spring, 31, was arrested at his mother's Mystic, Connecticut home after NYPD detectives were tipped off to the man's threatening messages on Reddit. Spring's post, which was deleted by site moderators, said that he was "armed and ready to fire," in order to "exterminate the real problem."

New York Police Special Activities Unit Det. Jason Morgan took a screenshot of the threat:

"I do believe that's black kids murdered her though. That's the real story. Why don't you pay attention to that. A black kid 13/14 year old stabbed a white gurl to death for nothing. Time to exterminate the real problem. Now he was freed by family/lawyer and let loose in HARLEM! I'm going to search for him myself tonight. Armed and ready to fire. Then the parents are next."

The NYPD contacted Connecticut State Police who went to his mother's home in North Stonington and found Spring asleep in the house.

Spring admitted to investigators that he made the post but claimed "he has no guns, or access to guns, and is not going to harm anyone or drive to New York City as stated." He said he used his phone to make the post and consented to a search of the device police said.

Spring was charged with second-degree threatening and released on $5,000 bond.

Majors was stabbed as she walked through Morningside Park near the Barnard and Columbia campuses during an attempted robbery, police officials said. A 13-year-old boy was arrested and is facing charges of felony murder, robbery and criminal possession of a weapon in family court.

Legal Aid Society lawyers representing the teenager said this week that he was interrogated by police without a lawyer present. The public defenders said they are "absolutely troubled by the fact that our client was questioned and interrogated by police without an attorney present. We must ensure that our client's constitutional rights are not violated."

NYPD Spokeswoman Sergeant Mary Frances O'Donnell told Patch that the NYPD did not violate the 13-year-old's rights. The suspect was questioned with a legal guardian, his uncle, present and both agreed to waive the boy's Miranda Rights, the NYPD spokeswoman said. The law does not require an attorney to be present during a police interrogation, O'Donnell told Patch.

Patch editor Ellyn Santiago contributed to this report.