As the saying goes, a picture says a thousand words. But in the case of an Instagram screenshot of a shooting threat that circulated amongst Brea Olinda High School students on Nov. 12, a picture also has a thousand consequences.

An image of an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a handgun, and the words “Look out for tomorrow, @bohs” was shared between BOHS students on social media, and eventually with school and district administrators. 

By 9:16 p.m. an email was sent by the Brea Olinda Unified School District (BOUSD) notifying all high school staff, students, and families of the school’s Nov. 13 closure.

The swift reaction by BOHS, BOUSD, and the Brea police department was impressive, but also expected because of our unfortunate familiarity with threats of school violence.

In less than two months, two shooting threats have impacted, and marred, the first semester of our school year. 

The consequences of these threats are real, and many.

In an email to BOHS families, principal Joey Davis noted that students experiencing food insecurity could contact BOUSD, a reminder that for some Wildcats, free, school-provided meals are their only reliable source of nutrition and sustenance.

The shut-down resulted in other disruptions in student life.

The dance program’s dress rehearsal on the eve of their annual fall concert was canceled.

Varsity cross country and boys’ water polo — both preparing for their respective CIF championships  — were forced to practice off campus, throwing off rhythms and routines established over months of competition.

Auditions for the annual Brea’s Got Talent show were rescheduled for Nov. 14 and 15 during 30-minute lunches, instead of after school, which would have afforded more prep time for the performers.

Consequences also included missed instructional time just a month away from the end of the first semester with lessons interrupted and exams postponed.

Posting a threatening image on social media can result in especially damaging consequences for the perpetrator who, if caught, can face punishment ranging from a multi-day suspension, to expulsion, to arrest. 

But the biggest consequence of these threats of school violence is the fear it elicits — parents afraid to send their children to school; students afraid to attend classes; staff afraid for their own safety and for the safety of their students. 

Although we’re used to living with this fear and frequently reminded of it during active shooter drills, seemingly annual threatening social media posts, and weekly stories about on-campus violence (there have been 76 school shootings in 2024, so far), we’re not numb to it. Each hint of violence is a reminder that our lives could shift — and even end — in an instant.

It’s exhausting to experience the same cycle of fear, anger, frustration, and, sadly, resignation, each time another threat circulates on social media.

We’re taught to brace for it with our yearly active shooter drills, but we know that there are too many variables — an open campus, access to guns (four in ten U.S. adults have at least one gun in the home) — to make us feel completely safe.

We are tired of living in fear. 

That BOUSD and BOHS administrators took the Nov. 12 threats seriously enough to cancel school and to keep the community informed through frequent Titan alerts, Parent Square updates, and emails, speaks to their intent on keeping our staff and students safe. 

But there is nothing anyone can do to alleviate the chronic fear we feel, the feeling that nowhere is safe. 

And that is the greatest consequence of all.

This story was originally published on The Wildcat on November 16, 2024.