'Above and beyond.' State awards Woodward grads for treating classmate who was shot
Two former Woodard Career Technical High School students were recognized by the Ohio School Safety Center for rendering aid to a classmate who was shot near the school earlier this year.
Jaileyana Fraley and Lagena Johnson, who both graduated from Cincinnati Public Schools in the spring, were presented the inaugural "Stand Out Student Award" on July 25 during the state's annual school safety summit, the district said in a news release.
Fraley and Johnson were in their school on Feb. 23 when the student came rushing back into the school building after he was wounded in a shooting at a nearby apartment complex.
The teen fell to the floor as he came through the door and his blood spilled everywhere, Johnson previously told The Enquirer.
Enquirer Q&A: CPS superintendent discusses safety at Woodward, across district
Fraley and Johnson had the victim's brother remove the boy's shirt, and the two girls immediately began tending to his wound, Fraley said.
"It was scary," she recalled. "This is somebody who needs some serious help."
Police arrived at the scene shortly before dismissal and Woodward was placed on lockdown as a precaution, officials said. School staff immediately called 911 and secured the building.
Fraley and Johnson were able to stop the boy's bleeding until paramedics arrived and likely saved his life, school officials said. The pair had just completed "Stop the Bleed" training through Woodward's Health Science career-tech program.
Jason Spencer, senior director of safety services at CPS, nominated Fraley and Johnson for the award.
Woodward HS grads, Jaileyana Fraley and Lagena Johnson, came to the aid of a fellow student suffering from a potentially fatal wound! For their heroism, they were honored with the prestigious Ohio School Safety Center Stand Out Student Award!
Read more: https://t.co/RqYDcIlqHN pic.twitter.com/KSVPYRnCIv— I Am CPS (@IamCPS) August 7, 2023
“Good things are happening in our schools,” Spencer said in the release. "I love seeing students get the recognition they deserve. These students went far above and beyond to save the life of another student.”
During a graduation celebration in April, Fraley and Johnson also received an award from Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Kari Bloom.
The shooting near Woodward in February wasn't the last. A little more than a month later, two students, ages 16 and 17, were hospitalized after a shooting at a bus stop near Seymour and Reading roads. Three other juveniles were arrested in connection with the shooting.
Cincinnati police data show teens are being shot at an alarming rate, with the number of teen shooting victims so far this year being roughly double what it was the same time last year.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Woodward grads get state award for treating classmate who was shot
