MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — A Montgomery County high school student was arrested Wednesday for an alleged mass shooting plot at Wootton High School that was stopped by state and federal officials, according to the Montgomery County Police Department.
Police said 18-year-old Andrea Ye of Rockville, who goes by Alex, allegedly authored a 129-page "manifesto" strategizing how he'd allegedly carry out the act, though police records showed that Ye claimed it was a fictional story. Numerous, concerning internet searches allegedly made by Ye also aided in an arrest and subsequent charges.
Montgomery County officials will held a news conference at 11 a.m., which can be watched below:
According to 7News Maryland Bureau Chief Brad Bell, Ye is biologically female though identified as male.
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Documents claim that Ye reportedly contemplated targeting an elementary school.
"The charges are extremely serious, involving alleged threats to harm others. We value and appreciate the close collaboration between [Montgomery County Public Schools] and MCPD in this matter, which is an example of our shared commitment to identify and address potential threats with due process before they materialize," a statement from MCPS read. "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."
According to officials, Ye's alleged manifesto was shared with Baltimore police on March 3, by someone else who knew Ye as both people received treatment at a psychiatric facility in Maryland. Ye started receiving mental health treatment in December of 2022 after making a series of alleged threats.
The witness and Ye allegedly told officials that the story was fictional, however, witnesses and police were concerned with many of the elements that appeared to be too realistic, according to police records. Ye referred to the manifesto as his "memoir" or an "autobiography," according to police documents.
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Rockville City police were later contacted and they conducted a welfare check on Ye. Ye's father allegedly told police he was not concerned with Ye's mental status because he was certain Ye would contact their therapist.
Ye's father was allegedly aware of a story being written by the 18-year-old but had not read it. The witness' access to the manifesto was revoked shortly after, according to police documents.
According to documents, Ye's former counselor said he, between Oct. 2022 and Feb. 2023, frequently made harmful comments towards others. Ye also reportedly told the counselor that he wanted to be famous for his acts.
Documents show Ye made numerous searches related to the infamous 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, and Ye's charges come days before the 25th anniversary.
On March 21, police acquired a search warrant on Ye's home, and on April 16 an arrest warrant was acquired.
Ye was charged with threat of mass violence, meaning he's being accused of "knowingly threatening to commit" a violent crime. He's being held in the Montgomery County Detention Center without bond prior to Friday's bond hearing.
The county's crisis center services are being offered to help the community process this turn of events.
7News spoke with the county's Senior Administrator for Crisis Intake and Trauma Services, Dorne Hill, who lauded those who raised red flags and intervened along the way.
"A lot of times we hear people say well, 'I didn't want to make a big deal out of it,' but sometimes there are things you need to make a big deal of even if they seem small in nature," said Hill. "We never know until we dig into it."
"There are always lessons learned and things that you hope that you can do better, but this is a great case," she said. "This is an awesome example of the early interventions that can be helpful to the community and save a lot of people's lives.
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Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Council President Friedson, Public Safety Chair Katz, and Education & Culture Chair Jawando shared the following joint statement on Thursday:
"Today, we learned about a potential incident of school violence that was deterred due to the great work and collaboration between the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This investigation occurred due to a tip from an unnamed source – who should be considered a hero because they ‘saw something and said something’ and likely saved lives.
Although this potential incident was prevented, we know that this news may cause anxiety within our school communities. In the short term, MCPD has increased its presence at Wootton High School and will do so at other schools as warranted. We advise families needing assistance coping with the trauma this incident may cause to access help through the County’s Crisis Center Hotline at 240-777-4000.
MCPD, MCPS, and the Office of the State’s Attorney, working with the federal law enforcement offices, will continue investigating this case. However, one thing is already clear: the suspect pointed to lack of access to a firearm as a key factor in preventing the individual from taking action. Maryland gun laws provide an essential barrier against individuals with a significant history of mental illness and violent ideations from obtaining firearms.
This incident is a somber reminder that we must continue to focus on the mental health of our youth and young adults. We will continue our investments, partnerships, and collaborations with MCPS, Department of Health and Human Services Behavioral Health teams, and crisis response experts. Additionally, we are working to expand our communications and engagement efforts with students, parents, teachers, and families of young adults throughout the County to ensure that they know where and how to get help when needed.
Saturday, April 20th, is the 25th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting. We must recognize the important role each of us can play in supporting safety and security for all people. When we work collaboratively, we set an example that others will follow to ensure that our children, and indeed our residents, are safe in school, the workplace, and at home."
According to Chief Jones, security was increased around Wootten High School prior to the arrest.
During Friday's press conference, Jones and several other Montgomery County leaders cited Maryland's comparatively strict gun laws for helping prevent Ye from acquiring a gun, and also stressed the importance of helping friends and peers in mental health crises.
"I want to take a moment to stress that there was considerable patience conducted by all involved to include our investigators before making any rash decision. in this particular manner," said Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones during a news conference on Friday, before encouraging people to seek out necessary mental health treatment.
"It is important in our community and these are very difficult decisions to make," Chief Jones said. "We know that we have individuals who are troubled in our community, even our young people, But it is our role in public safety to make sure that these individuals get the necessary help that they need in times of crisis. And so I again, I want to commend all who were involved who took the necessary steps, and who had patience, who didn't rush to judgment."
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich called the situation a wake-up call.
" [H]e clearly had mental health issues and I think it'd be worth our while to figure out you know, when could we have known or when should we have possibly intervened, because we may have intervened at the right time, but at a very late time in the process. So hopefully, this will lead us to look deeper into what we do for mental health support," Elrich said.
We know that dangerous thoughts often times lead to dire threats and those dire threats can very likely lead to deadly consequences," Montgomery Council President Andrew Friedson said. " In this particular case, because of this coordination because of really effective work. Because this was handled the right way."
