Orcutt man said he wanted to ‘shoot up’ local school — Paso police saw it on Facebook

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office thanked the Paso Robles Police Department on Tuesday, after officers at the North County station noticed online social media threats being made about a potential school shooting.

According to a news release, Paso Robles police notified the Sheriff’s Office of Facebook posts from a 22-year-old Orcutt man, saying he “wanted to shoot up a school in Santa Maria.” He did not specify a school.

Deputies responded to the man’s residence, and after an investigation, determined he didn’t have access to firearms, according to the release. After an in-field assessment by mental health experts, the man was transported to a hospital for care.

Authorities said there was no direct threat to Santa Maria schools.

“The Sheriff’s Office wants to take this opportunity to commend the reporting party, who saw a concerning social media post and reported to it to law enforcement right away,” the news release said. “It is important that we are aware of any potential threat to public safety so that we can quickly intervene, determine if a threat exists and ensure that people who are suffering from mental health issues are getting the assistance they need.”