CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The student who found a bullet and alerted school officials to it thwarting a possible mass shooting at West Geauga High School spoke exclusively with News 5 about what went through his mind when it happened.
Casey Orloski, a senior at the school, said he got up during his first-period class to go to the restroom. It was there, in a handicapped stall, where Casey spotted a 9mm bullet sitting on top of the toilet.
"I pretty much stood in shock," Casey said.
Casey knew he had to act.
"I need to do something now before something bad happens," he said.
Casey left the bathroom, went to the school resource officer and immediately reported what he found.
Police and school officials would later state that Casey's actions ultimately led to a possible mass shooting being averted.
One of Casey's classmates, Brandon M. Morrissette, was arrested later in the morning. Police and school staff reviewed security camera footage and interviewed numerous students who had used the bathroom prior to Casey finding the bullet.
During an interview, authorities found a handgun and three loaded magazines in Morrissette's bookbag. Court records show that Morrissette had planned to carry out a school shooting in the building's library— as it was where the largest number of students gathered.
Watch reporter Bryn Caswell's report on this detail and other new details gleaned from court records Wednesday:
RELATED: Court records: West Geauga High School student planned mass shooting at library
"I got chills to my spine," Casey said, thinking about having been in class with the suspect. "I did my worksheet with this kid right next to me on that day...Like why, why him, why do you want to do this?"
Casey is thankful that nothing happened that day.
"I'm just really grateful that every kid, teacher and staff had a chance to walk out of those doors that day," Casey said. "It meant a lot when everyone got out... it could have gone so much worse. We got very, very, very, lucky. There's no other way to put it."
Casey's mother April said the situation her son was in is scary to even think about.
"I feel like every day we kind of discover something else new that we hadn't thought about yet that makes it a little more terrifying to think about what could have happened," April said.
April recalls getting a text message from Casey saying that he found a bullet and the school was sheltering in place.
"So all of this information at once was kind of just a shock," she said.
According to April, the school didn't notify her about what was going on when her son and his classmates were sheltering in place.
On Tuesday, the superintendent sent a letter to parents detailing conversations the district has been having over several months with police about ramping up security. Those details include fixing the public address system and the phone system at the middle and high schools.
At the Geauga County School Board meeting Tuesday, the board passed a resolution to replace the district's current public address system. West Geauga Local Schools Superintendent, Richard Markwardt, told News 5, that if repairs can’t be made, replacement costs could exceed $50,000.
"This resolution permits the board to dispense with the normal bidding process in order to get a new PA system installed as quickly as possible because an effective PA system is a critical component in a school's safety and security,” said Markwardt. “I just want to be clear that the resolution will only be acted upon if repairs don't work.”
The phone system is another one of April's concerns about school safety.
"I think it's a little late on the phone communication issue because the phone system issue has been going on for a long time now. I feel like every few months we get a notification from the school... an email saying 'if you're trying to contact the school, our phone systems are down right now,'" she said.
April said she feels like having a working communications system could have helped deter what might have happened had her son not reported finding the bullet.
She also told us that Casey was sitting in class right next to Morrissette, who was armed with a knife and a gun in his bag.
Thinking about it "really ranges from terror and fear to anger and frustration depending on the day," April said. It wasn't until Casey was home that they learned who the police arrested.
We asked April if she feels confident about sending her son back to school after what happened and with the climate of school shootings across the country.
"I don't. I don't. Because he is a senior, and I feel that he is responsible enough for his own actions, I gave him a choice," April said.
She gave Casey the option of not going back.
"So, I said I'm actually completely fine with you not going back. And yesterday was actually his first day back. So, he decided that he was ready and we went and said it was OK. And then this morning he seemed to be in a little bit better mood about it. But originally, after Monday, Tuesday, we didn't have school Wednesday and Thursday, he did not feel comfortable going."
April said the incident is a wake-up call for the school and parents and that this can happen anywhere.
"We live in a very rural, safe, small community. Everybody always feels safe here. And to know that this could have happened at our school is really eye-opening," she said.
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