CHESTERLAND, Ohio — Court documents obtained by 3News reveal new information that an 18-year-old student had plans to "shoot multiple students" at West Geauga High School.
According to a complaint filed by the Township of Chester, a 9 mm bullet was found in the men's restroom at West Geauga High School on Monday. Following the finding, the school resource officer and school administrators began to review video surveillance to determine the origin of the bullet.
After interviewing nearly 20 students, officials identified the suspect as Brandon Morrissette. Upon further investigation, Vice Principal Victor Puskas searched the backpack of Morrissette, who allegedly had a Smith and Wesson 9 mm handgun with three fully loaded magazines inside. On the exterior of Morrissette's pants, officials say he also had a lock blade-style knife.
The court documents also revealed that after interviews with the suspect, it was learned that he had a "devised plan to shoot multiple students at West Geauga High School."
"He admitted to using prior calculation and design in developing a plan to cause harm to students at West Geauga High School on April 3," Chester Township Police Chief Craig Young said. "He further acknowledged that the firearm seized by law enforcement on Monday was the weapon he intended to use to inflict that harm."
Chardon Municipal Court records show that Morrissette is being charged with the following:
- Attempted aggravated murder
- Inducing panic
- Illegal possession of deadly weapon in school safety zone
Officials noted that these charges are subject to change.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video at the top of the story previously aired on 3News on April 4, 2023.
The Chester Township Police Department, West Geauga School District and Geauga County Prosecutors Office gave an update on Wednesday regarding the incident, which can be watched below.
Currently, Morrissette is being held in a secure mental health facility. Once he is released, which could be as soon as Friday, he will be taken into custody and then an initial court appearance will be set.
“The decisions made by administrators and faculty on the morning of April 3 were appropriate and direct. I have no hesitation in saying that those decisions saved the lives of students and faculty,” said Young during the press conference.
West Geauga school officials confirmed to 3News that students returned to school on Wednesday. Classes across the district were canceled on Tuesday following rumors of an additional threat.
On Monday, students at the high school were dismissed for the remainder of the day out of an abundance of caution. There was an elevated police presence at the middle school behind the high school as classes remained ongoing.
According to a letter by West Geauga Local Schools Superintendent Dr. Richard Markwardt, the weapon was discovered thanks to "the vigilance of a student," who brought the matter to the attention of administrators, who proceeded to contact authorities. Both the middle and high schools will also be making changes to their backpack policies, prohibiting students from carrying even clear sacks freely around the buildings beginning this coming Tuesday. Instead, backpacks must be kept in lockers unless otherwise approved by administrators for medical reasons.
"We realize this is a big change to implement so far into the school year, so please know that we will give students grace if they have a difficult time adjusting," West Geauga Middle School Principal Meagan Bellan and Assistant Principal Kari Dorko jointly wrote in a letter to parents.
The high school is also considering additional safety measures, such as metal detectors.
3News' Ben Axelrod contributed to this report.