18-year-old Maryland transgender teen arrested on suspicion of planning school shooting because he wanted to be famous; police discover 130-page murder manifest

• Andrea Ye, 18, was charged with threatening mass violence.
• Police found a written ‘manifesto’ that ‘strategized how to carry out the act’

A transgender 18-year-old planned a school shooting because he “wanted to be famous,” according to police who arrested him after discovering a 129-page manifesto.

Andrea Yeh, whose real name is Alex, was arrested Wednesday and charged with threatening to commit gang violence after allegedly planning to shoot up Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland.

The police raided Mr. Ye after discovering a manifesto written by the boy that said he had written about school shootings and a strategy on how to carry them out.

It is said that Ye wrote “I want to be famous” on the page and was thinking of targeting elementary schools because “small children are easy targets.”

According to court documents seen by the ABC, Ye initially described the manifesto as “fiction” but later described it as “my memoir.”

Montgomery County Public Schools told Fox that Ye is an active student at Wootton High School in Rockville, but attends through a virtual program and has not physically been on campus since 2022.

Police reportedly stated in court records that Yeh’s gender is female, but she uses male pronouns.

After the FBI alerted Montgomery County police to the manifesto, police obtained a search warrant and discovered internet searches, drawings, and documents related to the threat of gang violence.

Although Ye reportedly included a disclaimer in the book saying it does not “represent the beliefs of the author,” a witness who first contacted authorities in early March said the manifesto did not represent Ye’s beliefs. It expressed concern that it showed “startling similarities” between the two.

According to court documents seen by ABC, witnesses believed the writings indicated Mr. Ye was ready to commit an impending mass shooting.

Officials said they determined the manifesto appeared to have “fiction and non-fiction parts.”

According to court documents, a witness told police Ye’s “memoir” was about a “transgender protagonist” named “James Wan.”

They said “Wan” had “experienced bullying and other problems at school.” [the witness] These are taken directly from Ye’s life and do not represent fiction.

According to ABC, the manifesto explains how the characters will “select the classrooms that are most likely to be targeted” and says: “I thought about shooting up the elementary school where I used to live because small children are easy targets.”

Authorities said they discovered social media posts and searches by Ye. He allegedly looked up the phrases “shooting ranges near me” and “However, I recognize that my plan is completely unethical.” It’s selfish and evil,” according to court documents seen by the ABC.

According to the document, Ye told an online user that his homicidal thoughts had gotten worse recently and he might eventually do it, and then said, “I want to kill a lot of people, or else I won’t.” “It will happen,” he is said to have added. It’s not worth it.”

Ye was taken into custody on Wednesday; He is being held in the Montgomery County Jail awaiting a bail hearing and has not yet entered a plea.

Court documents seen by the ABC said Ye had a long history of inpatient treatment for mental health issues and had openly expressed homicidal and suicidal thoughts.

According to court documents, Ye had previously been hospitalized for threatening to “shoot up the school.”

He was tested at home and then readmitted to the hospital in March, after which the hospital alerted the school and law enforcement officials, citing a “leaf threat.”

According to documents reviewed by ABC, a counselor who worked with Ye told authorities that Ye was “expressing violent thoughts, including shooting up the school” and was “smiling while saying them.” He reportedly gave a statement.