The sentencing of a former Thomas S. Wootton High School student who was found guilty of a charge of threats of mass violence in connection with his manifesto describing plans for a school shooting was delayed Friday morning until April 22, according to proceedings in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
The postponement allows prosecutors and lawyers representing Alex Ye, 19, of Rockville time to consider sentencing options, according to the proceedings.
Circuit Court Jill Cummins convicted Ye on Jan. 8, following a two-day bench trial in December in Rockville. The case revolved around the writings of the former Wootton student and whether his 129-page manifesto presented an actual threat, according to court proceedings.
In her ruling, Cummins 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. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Following Friday’s sentencing postponement, prosecutors and Ye’s defense lawyers are expected to provide a status update report in 30 days, according to the court proceedings.
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 Ye’s 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.
County prosecutors James Dietrich and Karen Mooney countered that 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 former Wootton principal Douglas Nelson. Evidence in the form of messages to acquaintances, posts to social media and the book was also provided.
In her Jan. 8 ruling, 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.
