Maryland student convicted after writing 129-page manifesto about mass school shooting

ROCKVILLE, Md. (TCN) -- A 19-year-old man faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for threatening to shoot up a school after writing "chilling messages" in a lengthy manifesto.

According to a Jan. 8 statement from the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, following a two-day bench trail, a judge found Andrea "Alex" Ye guilty on one count of threat of mass violence. His sentencing hearing is set for Feb. 28.

Montgomery County Police initially arrested Ye in April 2024 after a concerned associate who spoke with Ye via Instagram called law enforcement. Ye reportedly sent the associate a 129-page manifesto about a high school shooting.

Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy disclosed some of Ye’s statements in the manifesto, including, "I want to shoot up my school. I have been preparing for it for the past few months. As I sat in front of my dad’s gun case, I stared at the black gun inside. All I can think about is my finger on the trigger and taking aim and killing people."

McCarthy continued to read statements written by Ye, "As I walk through the hallways, I cherrypick the classrooms that are the easiest targets. I’ve also considered shooting up an elementary school because the little kids make easier targets."

According to the state’s attorney’s office, Ye was previously hospitalized in December 2022 "after making statements to a counselor at Wootton High School about wanting to 'shoot up' his school."

Investigators determined Ye had a "consistent obsession with school shootings and school shooters." The defense reportedly argued the manifesto was purely fiction. However, McCarthy noted, "This was not a joke and not protected speech," adding, "Thank God this has a happy ending" since no one was harmed.

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