A Maryland high school trainee was jailed and charged with risk of mass violence Wednesday after cops state they found proof exposing the teenager had strategies to dedicate a school shooting.
Authorities found a 129-page file they state was composed by 18-year-old Alex Ye, the Montgomery County Department of Police stated in a press release Thursday.
Authorities found out of the works following an exchange Ye had through Instagram messaging with an unknown individual who felt a school shooting was “impending,” according to the teen’s arrest warrant. The unknown individual understood Ye from an inpatient treatment at a regional psychiatric center, the warrant states.
Ye described the works as “his narrative,” which starts with a disclaimer that it is a work of fiction, the arrest warrant states.
“In the file, Ye discusses dedicating a school shooting, and plans how to perform the act. Ye likewise ponders targeting a primary school and states that he wishes to be well-known,” cops stated in the news release. A search warrant acquired by detectives “resulted in internet searches, illustrations and files connected to dangers of mass violence.”
The cops department stated it was informed by the FBI about Ye’s declared works, which triggered a joint examination by the 2 companies.
Ye is being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where he is being held without bond up until his arranged June 3 trial. Mass violence is a misdemeanor bring an optimum charge of 10 years in jail, Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy stated throughout a Friday press conference.
CNN has actually connected to a lawyer for Ye.
The trainee has not physically participated in classes given that fall 2022 and has actually been registered in an online program, according to Montgomery County Public Schools.
Ye was hospitalized in December 2022 for “threatening to ‘soar a school,’ bloodthirsty, and self-destructive ideations,” according to the arrest warrant. The trainee was then hospitalized for 5 months in 2023 at Johns Hopkins Pediatric Unit for “bloodthirsty ideations.”
More just recently, on March 15, FBI representatives spoke with a school therapist who dealt with the trainee from late 2022 to early 2023 and stated Ye would “reveal violent ideas such as soaring the school, wishing to harm other individuals, and would smile while stating it,” according to the arrest warrant.
The trainee “did state he wished to soar Wootton HS and ‘his grade school,’ however never ever mentioned the name of the primary school. The Counselor understands the school to be Lakewood Elementary,” the arrest warrant states.
In reaction, the school district has actually increased security as a safety measure, particularly at Wootton High School due to the fact that “of a legitimate issue of a school shooting,” the arrest warrant kept in mind, including that they hope it would act as “a visual deterrent.”
There have actually been 140 dangers this academic year alone to Montgomery County schools, Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones stated throughout Friday’s press conference.