CHESTERLAND, Ohio — On April 3, Brandon Morrissette brought a gun into West Geauga High School. It was a day Casey Orloski and his mother April will never forget.
Morrissette admitted to police he wanted to commit a mass shooting at the high school. But police and school officials believe that plot was foiled because of Casey.
"I was scared someone was going to use that bullet during the school day," Casey told 3News. "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"
Soon after, he sent this text to his mother, "I went to the bathroom during first period and I went to a stall and I found a 9mm on the toilet. I told the cop, VP and the principal about it"
His mother asked him if he had found a gun or a bullet? Casey responded with one word: "Bullet." He knew he had to report it.
"I need to make an end to this right now," Casey recalled on what he was thinking at the time. "I have the key to stopping it."
The bullet being the key.
"What shocked me was he didn't touch the bullet," April added. "He knew enough when he saw it not to touch it."
And while the school investigated, Casey was sent back to class.
"At that day, I was working on a worksheet with him," Casey said of Morrissette, who had his backpack with a gun and knife sitting right next to him and Casey.
"I definitely have a problem with them sending him (Casey) back into the classroom," April told us. "I feel like they were not taking the threat seriously."
On Monday night, Casey was honored by the West Geauga Board of Education for his courage to come forward and speak up, which police say often times, kids don't. Casey is humbled by the accolades, yet feels bad for Morrissette, who Casey says had been struggling emotionally since the loss of his mother.
That's a loss Casey knows so well, having lost his birth mother himself. April and his dad have been filling the void every since.
"I lost my mom six and a half years ago," Casey said. "And if you have ever lost a parent that pain is so bad."
Still Casey says, Brandon Morrissette's way of dealing with his grief was only going to cause more pain for an entire community
"It's just unfortunate that he chose the wrong way of handling the situation," Casey added.
Casey is also set to be honored with the Uvalde Foundation For Kids' National Hero Award for coming forward and helping police and school officials prevent a mass shooting.