Orcutt, Calif. – Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies have identified the source of a social media post threatening a shooting at Orcutt Academy High School and determined that the juvenile responsible did not have the means to carry out the threat. 

On Friday, August 21, 2026, at approximately 5:20 p.m., administrators at Orcutt Academy High School contacted the Sheriff’s Office to report a threatening post on TikTok. Deputies learned that at approximately 5:00 p.m., a TikTok account posted a threat indicating that a shooting would occur at the high school on Monday, August 24. 

Deputies immediately began investigating and were able to identify and locate the source of the post, a male juvenile in the Orcutt area. Deputies contacted the juvenile and his parents and, through their investigation, determined that he did not have the means to carry out the threat. 

The case will be forwarded to Santa Barbara County Juvenile Probation for consideration of criminal charges. 

The Sheriff’s Office takes threats involving schools seriously and appreciates the administrators who promptly reported this post. We also want to remind students, parents, and community members that when they encounter threatening or suspicious content online, the best response is to report it, not repost it. Sharing or reposting a threat can spread fear, complicate an investigation, and amplify harmful content. 

Anyone who sees a social media post threatening violence should preserve the information when possible and immediately report it to law enforcement or a trusted school official rather than sharing it further.