A Democrat Maryland elected official scolded a reporter Friday for asking about the transgender identity of a teenager accused of planning to commit a school shooting.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich was responding to a question about Andrea Ye, who goes by Alex, when he became visibly frustrated. Ye, 18, is accused of plotting to commit a mass shooting at Thomas Wootton High School and his former elementary school.
He talked about the alleged plan in a 129-page manifesto. During a Friday news conference, Elrich was asked about the alleged hesitance of officials to reveal Ye's transgender identity.
"What is the reluctance of the county to admit that this individual was transgender?" the reporter asked. "This is the fourth time that we’ve seen this happen, very recently," referring to some mass shootings conducted by suspects who identified as transgender.
"Because it’s not a lede," Elrich replied. "You know, how do you publicize every time somebody gets murdered that it’s a white Christian male, who’s heterosexual? No, you don’t, you don’t. Are these the only crimes that get committed? You never publish somebody’s sexual orientation when you talk about them."
"Why you focus on them being transgender is beyond me. It is not a news story. It is not a crime to be transgender and I'm sorry you feel that way," he added.
The reporter responded as Elrich walked away from the podium: "That's not what I said."
Ye was arrested Wednesday and is charged with making threats of mass violence. He allegedly wrote that he wanted to become a serial killer instead of a mass murderer because serial killers are romanticized. Ye wanted to shoot up an elementary school because "little kids make easier targets," authorities said Thursday.
A tipster alerted authorities to his writings and an investigation was launched by local and state law enforcement.
