Editor’s note: This story, originally published at 4:26 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2025, was updated at 7:00 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2025, to add additional information and a statement from Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
Alex Ye, a former student at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, was found guilty of one charge of a threat of mass violence on Wednesday, ending a months-long legal process prompted by a 129-page manifesto he wrote describing plans to carry out a school shooting.
“These are chilling messages,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said, referring to some of the evidence in the case following the Wednesday hearing in Montgomery County Circuit Court in Rockville.
Ye, 18, of Rockville, faced one charge of threats of mass violence in a two-day bench trial that ended Dec. 11, 2024. The case revolves around the writings of the former Wootton student and whether the book presented an actual threat, according to court proceedings.
Judge Jill Cummins found Ye guilty and said that based on the evidence and context, it was clear that the book wasn’t jokes or protected speech and constituted a true threat. Ye’s sentencing was scheduled for Feb. 28. According to McCarthy, the charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Ye was arrested April 17 by Montgomery County police and charged with threats of mass violence. On May 30, Ye was indicted by a grand jury with one count of threats of mass violence. The charges stem from the “fictional story/manifesto about a high school shooting,” according to charging documents, that Ye sent via social media on March 3 to an acquaintance who testified during the trial. The book revolves around a transgender male student who thinks about shooting students at school and who is hospitalized for mental health issues.
During the first day of the trial, defense lawyers Paulette Pagán and David Benowitz of the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Price and Benowitz, argued that Ye’s manifesto was fiction, didn’t include an actual shooting and wasn’t a plan for action. Pagán declined to comment directly after Wednesday’s hearing.
County prosecutors James Dietrich and Karen Mooney countered the book offered striking parallels to Ye’s life and contained details of how the main character would carry out a shooting. During the trial, police officers testified that no guns were found in Ye’s Rockville home during a police search.
The trial included testimony from police officers, an acquaintance of Ye’s and Wootton’s former principal Douglas Nelson, who is on leave. Evidence in the form of messages to acquaintances, posts to social media and the book was also provided.
During the Wednesday hearing, Cummins reviewed evidence presented in trial, including messages in which Ye said the only reason he hadn’t committed a school shooting was because he didn’t have access to guns. The book begins with the main character saying he wanted to shoot up a school and had been preparing for it for months, Cummins explained
Cummins said the book wasn’t fiction and although Ye had changed the names of some people and places, the writings included events that happened in both Ye’s life and in the main character’s life.
Cummins said she agreed with the prosecution that Ye was obsessed with school shootings and knew the implications of his book and messages. Ye said in a message that was presented as evidence that the manifesto could be considered a terroristic threat.
Cummins said the threshold for a true threat is that a reasonable person needs to believe there was intent to harm someone, and that reasonable person was Ye’s acquaintance.
During a press briefing following the hearing, McCarthy said there were mental health issues involved in the case, but that the question of Ye’s competency for trial was never raised.
McCarthy said that one positive aspect of this case was that Ye’s acquaintance, as well as a school counselor, reported their concerns about Ye’s discussion of school shootings.
“Whether it comes to guns or threats of violence within school communities, if you see something, say something,” McCarthy said.
