Police in Montgomery County, Maryland, say they were able to prevent a school shooting planned by a teen.
Alex Ye, 18, a student at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, was arrested Wednesday and charged with threats of mass violence, police said Thursday.
In a search, police say they found a 129-page document in which Ye “writes about committing a school shooting and strategizes how to carry out the act,” a statement from police said. Ye considered targeting Wootton High and Lakewood Elementary School, and described wanting to “be famous,” police said.
The document included a map of Wootton High and drawings of violence, police said, calling it evidence of a threat.
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Ye allegedly referred to the document as a book, memoir and autobiography. Police say it constitutes evidence of a planned threat and did not appear to be completely fictional.
Detectives say Ye bought a BB gun on Amazon and planned to carry out a “suicide by cop.”
Police learned of the document in March from someone who Ye met at a psychiatric facility. Charging documents say Ye underwent mental health treatment over the past few years.
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Police got a warrant to search Ye’s home in Rockville and recovered electronic devices that revealed searches for gun ranges, information on AR-15 assault-style rifles and murder-suicide.
At the home on Thursday, no one answered.
'Very scary'
Several students with whom News4 spoke said they didn’t know Ye and are relieved to hear of the arrest.
“I think it’s a very scary thing to happen, knowing we went to school with this person,” one student said.
Ye was part of a virtual program at the school and had not attended school in person since fall 2022, officials said.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
Ye was being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, awaiting a bond hearing. Information on a defense attorney was not immediately available.
Montgomery County police and Montgomery County Public Schools increased security at schools, police said.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
