Just days before the 25th anniversary of the deadly Columbine shooting, a former Wootton student was arrested for a threat of mass violence toward the school, including the writing of a 129-page manifesto that describes a supposedly fictional, detailed plan to commit a school shooting. Since the incident at Columbine, there have been 404 school shootings in the United States, but the MCPS systems in place ensured this school did not become another statistic.
Hearing the news of this arrest, the community was left contemplating how different the incident could have ended. So how did the work and collaboration between the FBI, Montgomery County police, Rockville police, Baltimore Police, MCPS security, Wootton security, school counselors and additional mental health professionals put a stop to this potentially devastating plan before it was too late?
Eighteen-year-old former student Alex Ye was taken into custody on Wednesday, Apr. 17. At a press conference held at the MCPD headquarters on Apr. 19, speakers consisting of Montgomery County and Rockville police, MCPS representatives and County Council members and a representative from the FBI, informed the community of the events that led to Ye’s arrest.
When a junior, Ye stopped attending this school and began the MCPS virtual learning program, in the fall of 2022. Ye stopped attending school in person due to mental health struggles, and was reported to the Montgomery County Crisis Center. Although the Washington Post claimed a school counselor reported Ye to the crisis center, school counselor Daniella Bienstock said that while Ye’s school counselor did work with him, the school counseling department did not report Ye to the Crisis Center. “The person quoted in the Washington Post article as a counselor specifically isn’t someone who is on our school counseling staff. [Ye’s] counselor provided support to him in the way we do to all students, but that was a misattribution,” Bienstock said.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) restricts mental health professionals from sharing the personal information of their students. However, there is an exception when the student is a possible harm to themselves or others. The mental health professionals’ initial reporting of Ye, in 2022, led to police involvement and an investigation. A lack of mental health resources in the past has caused other communities, including Columbine’s, to be unaware of the violent intentions of students struggling with their mental health. “In this case what’s awesome is that folks at school, and also [Ye’s] mental health care professionals, and it sounds like some peers who they were in treatment with, recognized that something was really wrong, acted on that duty to warn, and the authorities still did their best to maintain his confidentiality, while also putting the steps into motion to try to get him help and make sure he doesn’t have access to our community,” Bienstock said.
In contrast, there is no record of Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold receiving any mental health care prior to their acts of violence. Ye’s use of mental health support was crucial in starting the investigation and putting his violent ideations on police radar. “In recent years, schools have played an increasing role in helping students cope with the challenges they face and the need to provide safe and supportive learning environments for them to learn and grow,” MCPS Chief officer Brian Hall said during the press conference.
On Mar. 3, the Baltimore County Police Department contacted the Rockville City Police Department about a report they received from a peer of Ye’s who had access to the manifesto, requesting a welfare check. The Rockville City Police Department followed through with the welfare check at the Ye residence, but were denied entry and an interview with the subject.
Officials discovered Ye had shared the 129-page manifesto with the peer. After the visit by Rockville City police, Ye allegedly rescinded his friend’s access to the Google document containing the manifesto. Had it not been reported, investigators would not have been able to obtain a search warrant for his Google account, which uncovered internet searches relating to firearms, school shootings and gun range access. “I want to express gratitude for the person who stepped forward. The chief talked about ‘see something, say something’ and this person saw something and said something, and that’s really important. We don’t know where we’d be today if that person hadn’t come forward and told us what they’d seen,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said during the press conference.
On Mar. 4, the Rockville City Police Department notified the Montgomery County Police Department’s community engagement division, at which point the Crisis Intervention team began an investigation on Ye based on the information that had been received from Ye’s peer and the threats found written in the manifesto.
On Mar. 6, crisis intervention officers evaluated Ye at his home, and he was taken to a hospital on the basis of an emergency evaluation petition. During his hospital stay, concerned medical staff notified the FBI Baltimore field office and Montgomery County police of potential threats Ye posed. FBI agents interviewed Wootton staff on Friday, Mar. 13, speaking to a school psychologist.
Based on the manifesto and internet searches, Montgomery County Police obtained a search warrant for Ye’s home on Mar. 21 where an iPhone, an iPad and a laptop were recovered. “Messages on the discord app revealed conversations involving the Columbine shooting, and similar school shootings, as well as drawings depicting shootings were found on the iPhone. Searches on Ye’s iPad, cellphone and computer, reveal searches for ‘2023 mass shootings,’ ‘sandy hook shooting game,’ ‘parkland shooter sentence’ and ‘what counts as a terroristic threat,” Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones said during the press conference.
As a result of the investigation, the Montgomery County Police Department, community engagement division and crisis intervention team coordinated with MCPS to increase security at schools, particularly at Wootton. Based on evidence that was gathered, and consultation with the Montgomery County State Attorney John McCarthy, an arrest warrant was requested and obtained on Apr. 16 and Ye was taken into custody on Wednesday, Apr. 17, being arrested as an adult.
While Ye expressed violent thoughts and plans in his manifesto and to mental health professionals, he did not have access to a gun. Police stated that his father did have a gun, but it was locked away in a gun safe that Ye did not have access to. This fact led community members and MCPS officials to commend Maryland’s strict gun laws for playing a role in stopping the intended acts of violence. “I will point out that Maryland has some of the strictest gun laws and this may have been a helpful thing that [Ye] found our gun laws an impediment to getting armed. People are always like, ‘What difference does it make?’ This could well be a case where the difficulty of getting guns prevented [Ye] from getting guns when he wanted it and possibly prevented him from acting as soon as he would have preferred to act. So I think there are some lessons to take away from this going forward, ” Elrich said.
The actions of the officials involved demonstrate how MCPS followed procedures to prevent a possibly catastrophic outcome. Montgomery County officials were appreciative of the collaboration across organizations. “I want to thank the swift collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies, including the Montgomery County police department, Montgomery County Public Schools and the FBI that helped prevent this potential tragedy from unfolding,” Elrich said.
MCPS Chief Operating Officer Brian Hull agreed with this sentiment. “This collaboration is an example of shared commitment to identifying and addressing potential threats with due process, before they materialize,” Hull said during the press conference.
While a potential incident was stopped, students and staff shared concerns for the lack of communication from school administration. Students and staff were informed of Ye’s arrest through a Washington Post article that was published around 12 p.m., during the school day, on Apr. 18. Administration did not address the events with the community until 7 p.m. on Apr. 18, through an email sent by Principal Douglas Nelson. When asked if staff were informed of the investigation and arrest prior to the media’s release of information, Social Studies teacher Christopher McTamany said “no.” School administration declined to comment on any content within this article.
In contrast, Stonemill Elementary School staff received an email on Mar. 4 containing a photo of Ye along with a warning. In the email, Principal Kimberly Williams-Cascio wrote, “This friend, Alex Ye, is a senior at Wootton. There is a ‘no trespass’ for him on all of MCPS. Should this 18-year-old person be seen on property, it is an automatic 911 call. Please be aware and vigilant. We don’t allow outsiders in for any reason.”
This incident has shaken the school community, however it is an exemplary case of how the systems in place succeeded to protect the lives of students and staff at this school. “What was supposed to happen happened,” McTamany said.
As the school moves forward, it is vital to understand the importance of vigilance and precaution in preventing acts of violence. The events of this week should remind communities around the county, and the country, that it is a joint effort to maintain school safety, and danger is present in every community, even the safest. “A similar fate that happened 25 years ago didn’t happen at Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland. Today is a sober day but it would have been a catastrophic day if not for the heroic work of so many people who were part of avoiding such a terrible tragedy from happening,” Montgomery County Council President Andrew Friedson said during the press conference.
School security declined to comment on any content within this article.
