Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich sure was not pleased when he was asked why local officials tried to hide details about the gender identity of a teenager who was arrested for plotting school shootings. When he was confronted with he and other officials’ attempt to cover up the transgender-related detail of the shooter, an 18-year-old woman from Rockville who identifies as a man.
The accused transgender, Andrea Ye, was arrested by the Montgomery County Police Department on Wednesday after the department was notified by the FBI about a 129-page “manifesto” in which the trans teenager allegedly penned down thoughts about committing a school shooting.
The plans written in the manifesto reportedly included the targeting of an elementary school and how she would carry out the shooting. She, however, claimed that all she wrote was a fictional story, even though authorities uncovered disturbing internet searches made by her.
At a press conference, an individual asked Elrich why local officials have not admitted that Ye identifies as a transgender.
“What is the reluctance of the county to admit that this individual was transgender? This is the fourth time that we’ve seen this happen very recently. And right here I hear all of our leadership saying to us today, and what we do in journalism here, what we try not do is bury the lede. Why am I hearing about this from the New York Post?” the individual asked.
Elrich tried to back up officials’ lack of accountability by claiming that the transgender ddetail is “not a lede.”
“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,” Elrich said.
“Why are you focused on it being a 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.
After Elrich’s explosion, the individual tried to clarify that he never said anything like it is a crime to be transgender like Elrich claimed.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich SNAPS when a journalist asks why they're covering up the fact that Andrea Ye was transgender.
Andrea Ye is trans teenager (female) who planned to attack 2 Montgomery County schools. pic.twitter.com/HkRnVPofkp
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) April 19, 2024