A transgender teenager in Maryland has been arrested and accused of plotting horrific mass shootings at two schools in a twisted bid to become infamous, according to authorities. The 18-year-old, identified as Alex Ye of Rockville, faces charges of threatening mass violence over allegations of authoring a disturbingly detailed 129-page document that laid out plans for carrying out the attacks.
The Montgomery County Police Department said Ye, whose legal name is Andrea, had referred to the writing as a “memoir” that included designs for shooting rampages at Wootton High School, where Ye had taken online classes, and the nearby Lakewood Elementary School. Investigators claim Ye expressed a desire to “become famous from this event” in conversations with a former school counselor.
While Ye maintained the memoir was simply a work of fiction that did “not represent the author’s beliefs,” a witness who had access to the document was so disturbed by its contents that they reported it to authorities. The witness believed there were “striking similarities” between the writing and Ye’s own life as a transgender youth who identified as male. Of grave concern, the witness felt Ye appeared prepared to act on the mass shooting plot imminently.
Shocking Allegations of Meticulous Planning
According to court documents cited in media reports, excerpts from Ye’s purported memoir lay out calculations of attack logistics and weaponry in chilling detail:
“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.”
The writing also allegedly describes considerations of making explosives and extending the killing to an elementary school.
“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.”
Most disturbingly, it outlines an aspiration of setting a “world record for the most amount of kills in a shooting” and gruesomely mutilating victims.
“High school’s the best target; I’m the most familiar with the layout…If I have time, I’ll try to decapitate my victims with a knife to turn the injuries into deaths.”
Preceding Warning Signs
While there is no allegation that Ye had obtained any firearms at the time of the arrest, police state they uncovered a trail of concerning online activity. This includes web searches related to AR-15 firearms and locating gun ranges, as well as social media posts that seemingly foreshadowed violent intent.
Chat logs allegedly show Ye discussing thoughts of perpetrating a school shooting with another person last September. One message in December read: “My homicidal ideation has been getting worse lately to the point I might act on it eventually.” Another stated: “I’d want to kill a lot of people or it wouldn’t be worth it.”
The person who reported the memoir to Baltimore authorities had been receiving psychiatric treatment at the same facility as Ye, which the teenager began in December 2022 after making alleged threats. Rockville police had conducted a welfare check on Ye that month after the father claimed not to be concerned about the teen’s mental health status.
Despite the memoir’s stated disclaimer that it was fiction, investigators felt the evidence, combined with the credible witness account, painted a persisting threat that demanded an immediate response.
School District Responds to “Extremely Serious” Charges
In a statement, the Montgomery County Public Schools system acknowledged the “extremely serious” charges involving “alleged threats to harm others” by the former Wootton High student. The district confirmed that while Ye had not physically attended schools since fall 2022, the teenager had been taking classes virtually through an online program.
Bound by federal student privacy laws, the school district declined to provide additional details but stressed: “It is important to understand that student privacy regulations are not a matter of arbitrary discretion but are instead firmly established by federal law.”
The investigation was a joint effort between the Montgomery County Police Department and the FBI. Ye, who has not yet entered a plea, is being held at the county’s Central Processing Unit ahead of an upcoming bond hearing.
A Shocking Alleged Scheme
The allegations against the Rockville teenager paint a profoundly disturbing picture – a potentially meticulously planned scheme to unleash unfathomable violence in a bid for notoriety. While a possible motive of attaining fame through infamy is difficult to comprehend, the implications of such plotting, if true, underscore the vital importance of aggressive investigation and prevention efforts.
As the case proceeds through the justice system, the Montgomery County community has surely been shaken by the proximity of this alleged threat of mass murder. Schools in particular will be focused on reassuring students, parents, and staff that their safety remains the highest priority through strengthened security protocols and support services.
For now, the trans teenager remains behind bars as the vast investigation aimed at unraveling the full truth around these deeply disturbing charges continues. Authorities seem resolved to ensure any substantiated intent to unleash unprecedented harm on defenseless lives is subject to the fullest accountability under the law.
