Orcutt School Locked Down Due to Online Threat

Update by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office

A reported threat at St. Joseph’s High School in Orcutt has been tracked back to a verbal exchange between students. On Tuesday, November 2, 2021, at approximately 7:22 a.m., deputies were dispatched to St. Joseph’s High School when school administrators reported a possible threat they learned about circulating on social media. Deputies assigned to the Santa Maria substation responded to the area along with the Righetti School Resource Deputy.

While deputies worked to determine the source and credibility of the threat, they asked that students be kept off the St. Joseph’s campus and that anyone already on the campus shelter in place. Deputies contacted an involved student at 8:02 a.m. and quickly determined that student was not a danger. As a deputy worked to unravel the background story of the threat, other deputies checked the physical security of the St. Joseph’s and Righetti campuses.

The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District shared timely information with Righetti parents using Parent Square as the Sheriff’s Office shared information on Twitter. Ultimately, deputies determined that the incident that evolved into a reported threat was a verbal exchange between two students that was then inaccurately relayed into a threat of violence on campus.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the parents, students, and faculty for their patience and cooperation as deputies worked to determine the validity of this reported threat.

By edhat staff

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has shut down one Orcutt High School and are investigating a second school due to an online threat.

At 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office announced they are investigating a threat made on social media at St. Joseph’s High School in Orcutt.

“We have numerous units at the scene, and while the investigation is still in progress, we believe we will be able to clear soon,” the statement read.

St. Joseph’s High School was on lock down as deputies also responded to nearby Righetti High School and requested students and staff shelter in place while they check the school grounds.

After 9:15 a.m., the Sheriff’s Office announced deputies checked both schools and there is no credible or ongoing threat. Neither school is on lockdown or lockout for this incident any longer.

More information on these incidents will be released later today, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

On Monday, the Sheriff’s Office released a statement regarding a vague social media post that a Santa Barbara Unified School District school resource officer determined to possibly be threatening.

The Instagram post read “Don’t go to school tomorrow” and an investigation revealed it was related to a juvenile in Ventura County and was not a threat. School activities were not halted.

November 1, 2021: Social Media Post Prompt School to Investigate