CLEVELAND — Casey Orloski, the West Geauga High School student who helped prevent a potential mass shooting at the school this past April, will soon be honored for his efforts.
According, Casey has been selected as the first-ever recipient of the Safety Stand Out Award through the Ohio Student Safety Advisory Council and Gov. Mike DeWine. Casey will receive the award during a ceremony at the Ohio School Safety Summit, which will take place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on July 25 and 26.
The recognition for Casey comes three months after he told school administrators that he had found a 9 mm bullet in the men's restroom of the high school. Following the finding, the school resource officer and school administrators began to review video surveillance to determine the origin of the bullet. After interviewing 20 students, school officials identified the suspect as 18-year-old Brandon Morrissette, who allegedly admitted to devising a "plan to shoot multiple students at West Geauga High School."
Morrissette has since been indicted on the following charges:
- Attempted aggravated murder (first-degree felony)
- Illegal possession of a deadly weapon (fifth-degree felony)
- Inducing panic (fifth-degree felony)
In addition to the Safety Stand Out Award, Casey will be recognized by the Uvalde Foundation for Kids as a recipient of their inaugural National Student Hero Award. According to a release, the foundation — which focuses on preventing violence in schools through training and education — selected Casey for the honor after considering candidates from across the country.
"I was scared someone was going to use that bullet during the school day," Casey told 3News in April. "That's why I went up to the school resource officer. I went through the handicapped stall and when I went in there, I found a bullet standing up on top of the toilet."