A transgender Maryland teenager has been arrested for allegedly planning a mass shooting at two schools in a twisted effort to become “famous.”
Alex Ye, 18, of Rockville, whose legal name is Andrea, was arrested Wednesday and charged with threatening mass violence after allegedly authoring the 129-page document the suspect referred to as a “memoir,” according to ABC News.
Authorities said the writing was about committing mass shootings at Wootton High School, which Ye had attended online, and at Lakewood Elementary School.
Ye allegedly told his former school counselor that he wanted to become “famous from this event,” according to the outlet.
The student had claimed the memoir was a work of fiction — which included a disclaimer that it doesn’t “represent the author’s beliefs” — but a person with whom the student shared the document alerted authorities because it bore “striking similarities” to the writer.
The witness believed Ye — who is biologically female though identifies as male — was prepared to carry out the attacks shortly, according to the news outlet.
“I want to shoot up a school. I’ve been preparing for months. The gun is an AR-15. This gun is going to change lives tomorrow … As I walk through the hallways, I cherry pick the classrooms that are the easiest targets,” Ye allegedly wrote, WBAL-TV reported.
“I need to figure out how to sneak the gun in. I have contemplated making bombs. The instructions to make them are surprisingly available online. I have also considered shooting up my former elementary school because little kids make easier targets,” the student allegedly continued.
“High school’s the best target; I’m the most familiar with the layout. I pace around my room like an evil mastermind. I’ve put so much effort into this. My ultimate goal would be to set the world record for the most amount of kills in a shooting. If I have time, I’ll try to decapitate my victims with a knife to turn the injuries into deaths,” the screed allegedly says.
According to court documents cited by ABC News, the witness told authorities that the writing was about “a transgender main character” named “James Wang” who was “being bullied in school and other issues that [the witness] believed were directly from Ye’s life and not indicative of fiction.”
Police said they found worrisome social media posts and internet searches by Ye, including allegedly searching “gun range near me,” descriptions of an AR-15 and the phrase “But, I do recognize that my plan is fully unethical. It’s selfish and evil,” according to the outlet.
Chat records allegedly show the suspect discussing thoughts of shooting up his school with another person in September.
“My homicidal ideation has been getting worse lately to the point I might act on it eventually,” Ye allegedly wrote in December.
“I’d want to kill a lot of people or it wouldn’t be worth it,” the suspect said in another message that month, according to officials.
There’s no allegation that Ye had possession of any firearms up to the time of his arrest, ABC News reported.
The person who shared the manifesto with Baltimore cops on March 3 and Ye both received treatment at a psychiatric facility in Maryland, WJLA reported.
Ye started receiving mental health treatment in December 2022 after making alleged threats, according to the outlet.
Rockville City police were later contacted and they conducted a welfare check on Ye, whose father allegedly told them he was not concerned with his child’s mental status because he was certain the teen would contact their therapist, WJLA said.
The Montgomery County school district called the charges “extremely serious.”
“Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is aware of the arrest of a student from Thomas S. Wootton High School by the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD). The charges are extremely serious, involving alleged threats to harm others,” it said, WBAL-TV reported.
“The student, who has not physically attended an MCPS school since the fall of 2022, has been actively participating in lessons through a virtual program called Online Pathways to Graduation,” the school system said.
“This matter is an ongoing police investigation, and because of student privacy law (FERPA), MCPS cannot share any other information. It is important to understand that student privacy regulations are not a matter of arbitrary discretion but are instead firmly established by federal law,” it added.
Ye, who has not yet entered a plea, is being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit pending a bond hearing.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Montgomery County police and the FBI.
