A student at Wootton High School in Montgomery County, Maryland, was arrested Wednesday and charged with making threats of mass violence after police say he wrote a 129-page “manifesto” describing a desire to “shoot up” an elementary school and his high school.
The student, Alex Ye, was arrested as an adult, according to Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy, and faces up to 10 years in prison.
During Ye’s first appearance in court Friday, a judge ordered him held without bond after prosecutors said they couldn’t think of a greater threat to the community. Defense attorney’s for Ye said he should be released and monitored from home, a request the judge denied after citing the escalating intensity and planning of Ye’s alleged threats.
In a joint news conference, state officials, police and county school officials came together to detail the situation to the public.
Timeline
Chief Marcus Jones said officers began investigating 18-year-old Alex Ye — who lives in Rockville and attended Wootton High School — on March 3, after he shared the document with a friend who ended up calling police.
While executing a warrant to search Ye’s Google account, the investigators read the document, which Ye said is a work of fiction, but officers called a manifesto. Police said Ye wrote about targeting his former elementary school because “little kids make easier targets.”
According to police, Ye also wrote that he wanted to become a serial killer instead of a mass murderer because serial killers are romanticized a lot more.
On March 6, Ye was hospitalized and the medical staff later notified police and the FBI Baltimore Field Office with concerns that Ye posed a threat.
The school’s psychologist spoke with FBI agents, noting that Ye was fixated on and spoke about committing school shootings, Jones said.
Police got a warrant to search Ye’s home on March 21 and recovered an iPhone, iPad and laptop. Messages on social media revealed interest in the Columbine shooting and similar school shootings.
Drawings depicting shootings were found on the iPhone and searches on Ye’s iPad, cellphone and computer revealed searches for 2023 mass shootings, Sandy Hook, Parkland shooting shooter sentence and what counts as a terroristic threat.
The warrant for Ye’s arrest was issued March 16 and carried out March 17.
Sobering but not catastrophic
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich noted the difficulty Ye faced in getting a gun.
“Maryland has some of the strictest gun laws, and this may be a helpful thing that he found there are gun laws and impediments to getting armed,” Elrich said.
Elrich also said he hoped this incident would lead to more investments in the mental health of young people.
Many officials noted the proximity to the 25th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting.
“I just think it’s eerie in its own right, particularly that this is the 25th anniversary of Columbine, coming up,” Jones said.
Several other members of the conference noted the date as well and were thankful that, in this case, a shooting was prevented.
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