Current:Home > NewsMaryland student arrested over school shooting plot after 129-page manifesto was found-LoTradeCoin
Maryland student arrested over school shooting plot after 129-page manifesto was found
View Date:2024-12-24 22:08:38
A Rockville, Maryland high school student has been charged with a threat of mass violence after a 129-page manifesto was found detailing plans to commit a school shooting.
18-year-old Alex Ye was arrested on Wednesday after a document was found written by Ye that strategized how to plan and commit a school shooting. The plan also included a local elementary school. In a joint investigation the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) and the FBI Baltimore Field Office were notified about the document, according to a press release by the MCPD.
On April 17 Ye was taken into custody by MCPD and charged with one count of a threat of mass violence. Ye is currently being held in the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit.
Ye's bond hearing is scheduled for April 19 at 1:00 p.m. in the Montgomery County District Court. A trial is expected to begin on June 3.
USA TODAY contacted Ye’s attorney for comment.
Waco, OKC bombing & Columbine shooting:How the April tragedies are (and aren't) related
MCPD and FBI open an investigation
In a search warrant obtained by MCPD, the police department was able to find internet searches, drawings and documents that showed threats of mass violence, the press release said.
After these findings, the MCPD notified the Community Engagement Division and the Montgomery County Public Schools to heighten their securities at schools, especially Wootton High School.
Ye’s goal was to become famous, police said.
Officials unveil timeline leading up to Ye's arrest
In a new conference on April 19 Montgomery County Police Department Chief Marcus Jones detailed the events leading up to Ye's arrest:
- March 3: MCPD contacted the Rockville City Police Department to check the welfare of Ye. The police department received information about a threat that was made. Officers went to Ye's residence and Ye's father answered the door. The officers were denied entry into the home and were not allowed to search the residence or to interview Ye.
- March 4: The Rockville City Police Department notified the MCPD Community Engagement Division for an intervention. It was noted that Ye had made significant statements regarding shooting up a former elementary school Ye attended and high school. Police then issued a search warrant in order to gain access to the 129-page document.
- March 5: A friend of Ye reported the student to police for a book he was writing. In the book, Ye detailed acts of a school shooting and stated that he wanted to be killed execution style. In the document Ye wrote that he would kill school children because, "little kids make easier targets." He also wrote that he wanted to become a serial killer instead of a mass murderer because serial killers are romanticized.
- March 6: Intervention officers evaluated Ye at his home and he was taken to a hospital for an emergency evaluation petition.
- March 13: FBI agents interviewed the Wootton High School staff.
- March 15: After speaking to a school psychologist, they stated that Ye would be fixated on statements about school shootings.
- March 19: MCPD searched Ye's Discord app which revealed conversations involving:
- The Columbine Shooting
- Drawings of shootings on Ye's iPhone
- 2023 shooting shooting game
- The Parkland Shooting
- Shooter
- Terrorist Threat
An arrest warrant was requested and obtained on April 16 by MCPD.
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X @forbesfineest.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- Some women are stockpiling Plan B and abortion pills. Here's what experts have to say.
- Who is playing in the NBA Finals? Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks schedule
- Sofía Vergara reveals cosmetic procedures she's had done — and which ones she'd never do
- National landmarks embody competing visions of America’s past | The Excerpt
- Mark Zuckerberg Records NSFW Song Get Low for Priscilla Chan on Anniversary
- Connecticut state trooper killed after getting hit by car during traffic stop on highway
- 2 climbers stranded with hypothermia await rescue off Denali, North America's tallest mountain
- Trump denounces verdict as a disgrace and vows this is long from over after felony conviction
- Florida man’s US charges upgraded to killing his estranged wife in Spain
- After several setbacks, Boeing will try again to launch its crewed Starliner on Saturday
Ranking
- Wicked Director Jon M. Chu Reveals Name of Baby Daughter After Missing Film's LA Premiere for Her Birth
- RFK Jr. plans to file lawsuit against Nevada over ballot access
- Officer who arrested Scottie Scheffler: 'Yes, the department has us buying freaking $80 pants'
- 'Hot Mess' podcast host Alix Earle lands first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit digital cover
- Padma Lakshmi, John Boyega, Hunter Schafer star in Pirelli's 2025 calendar: See the photos
- Cleveland father found guilty of murder for shoving baby wipe down 13-week-old son's throat
- Home on the range: inside buffalo restoration on the Wind River Indian Reservation
- McDonald's president hits back at claims Big Mac prices are too high amid inflation
Recommendation
-
Florida State can't afford to fire Mike Norvell -- and can't afford to keep him
-
6-year-old girl fatally struck by car while crossing street in California, sister injured
-
Trump's New York felony conviction can't keep him from becoming president
-
What is yerba mate? All about the centuries-old South American tea getting attention.
-
Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger welcome their first son together
-
'Courageous' Minneapolis officer remembered after fatal shooting; suspected shooter dead
-
Elon Musk sees another big advisory firm come out against his multibillion dollar pay package
-
Angelina Jolie and Daughter Vivienne Make Red Carpet Appearance Alongside Kristen Bell