West Geauga High School student charged with attempted aggravated murder
Apr. 5—A West Geauga High School student has been charged with attempted aggravated murder.
Eighteen-year-old Brandon Michael Morrissette was found with a 9mm handgun in his bookbag at the school on April 3. After being arrested, he allegedly admitted to Chester Township Police Department detectives that he had prior calculations and was developing a plan to cause harm to students and that the gun in his possession was the weapon he intended to use.
On April 4, he was charged with attempted aggravated murder, a first-degree felony; illegal possession of a deadly weapon in a school safety zone, a fifth-degree felony; and inducing panic, a first-degree misdemeanor. The charges were filed in Chardon Municipal Court.
Morrissette is currently being held in a secure mental health facility and upon release, will immediately be transferred to the Geauga County Safety Center.
On April 5, Chester Township Police Chief Craig T. Young, Geauga County Prosecutor James Flaiz and West Geauga Schools Superintendent Richard Markwardt held a press conference at the Board of Education offices to address the media and answer questions.
Young read a news release by the department which stated at approximately 8 a.m. on April 3, a student at West Geauga High School located a single round of ammunition in one of the restrooms. The student brought this to the attention of the school resource officer, who immediately secured the bullet and informed administrators what had been found.
Video surveillance was used to determine approximately 20 students had accessed the restroom prior to the bullet being found. The process was begun to interview each student that accessed the restroom and in the process of speaking with Morrissette at approximately 9 a.m., his bookbag was searched and authorities reportedly found the 9mm gun, which was not loaded, and three loaded magazines.
He was immediately arrested, handcuffed and searched. It was at that time police report they found that Morrissette also had a lock blade style knife secured to the exterior of his pants. West Geauga administration immediately placed high school on a "shelter in place" status.
Eventually all students were dismissed for the day. After receiving notice of another possible threat via Snapchat, Markwardt made the decision to close the district on April 4. Schools were re-opened April 5.
Information obtained through interviews by school administrators and law enforcement revealed there was no additional threat to the high school nor to any other buildings in the district.
Young emphasized that there was no prior knowledge of any threat and Morrissette did not share his plans with anyone.
"I want to stress that there was no information beforehand, no co-collaboration and he did not share his plans with anyone we spoke with," Young said. "I don't want to go into what his plan was at this time because it is an ongoing investigation and I don't want to jeopardize that effort."
Part of the investigation included a search of Morrissette's home in Lyndhurst by Chester Township detectives and the Geauga County Sheriff's Office where numerous items of evidence were secured.
Young also defended the decision not to immediately put the school on lockdown when the bullet was located saying they didn't want to "trigger" a potential situation and tried to keep things as normal as possible until the interview process located the student in question.
"I am bewildered at any criticism of the police or the school for their actions, and I certainly don't think it is in the best interest of safety to lock a potential shooter in a classroom with 20 other students," Flaiz said.
Flaiz also commended the school district, the police and the community for making the commitment to have a school resource officer in place.
As for future security plans moving forward in the school district, Markwardt said "nothing is off the table" and added that while it is sad that schools have to prepare for potential gun-related incidents, it is a reality all over the country.
"There are a lot of people to thank that made it so this potential tragedy was averted," Markwardt said. "It was a concerted effort. And thanks to the parents who trust us with their most precious assets."
