Rockville Teen Was Hospitalized 3 Times Before Threatening MOCO School Shooting

ROCKVILLE, MD — The Rockville teen accused of threatening a shooting at a Montgomery County school was involuntarily committed at a hospital before his arrest, officials said at a news conference Friday.

Alex Ye, 18, of Rockville, was charged with threats of mass violence following a joint investigation by Montgomery County police and the FBI. Ye was arrested Wednesday by county authorities. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

According to police, the FBI notified county police about a 129-page "manifesto" authored by Ye, in which he wrote about committing a school shooting and how to carry out the act. In the manifesto, Ye contemplated targeting an elementary school and stated that he wanted to be famous.

Court documents obtained by the Washington Post said the manifesto read like a work of fiction about a character named "James Wang." Told in a first-person perspective, an acquaintance of Ye’s told investigators the character bore “striking similarities” to Ye.

“The story focused on a transgender main character being bullied in school and other issues that (the acquaintance) believed were directly from Ye’s life and not indicative of fiction,” investigators wrote in an affidavit obtained by the Post.

A passage from the manifesto read, "As I walk through the hallways, I cherry-pick the classrooms that are the easiest targets."

During Friday's news conference, authorities said Ye was hospitalized on March 6 after an emergency petition was filed. He remained in the hospital until March 18 or 19.

Authorities said Ye also researched topics related to shootings online, including "gun ranges near me." He also researched school shootings including the Columbine shooting, a video game about the Sandy Hook shooting and the Parkland school shooter’s sentence.

According to the Post, Ye had been hospitalized for mental health issues — including homicidal and suicidal ideation — at least three times since late 2022.