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Crime & Safety

Mira Costa on Lockdown After Flammables Found

Students' bags are searched after a backpack with lighter fluid and matches is discovered Wednesday morning.

Mira Costa High School was on lockdown for approximately 45 minutes Wednesday morning after police and district officials were alerted to an unattended backpack containing lighter fluid and matches, said Manhattan Beach Police Officer Stephanie Martin.

The backpack was discovered around 10 a.m. near a staircase along Peck Avenue. The owner of the backpack has not been identified, Martin said.

Classes were momentarily interrupted while police and school officials entered classrooms and searched students' backpacks for related items, police said.

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Possession of such items is a violation of school policy, according to the district. No other related items were found after the search.

"At no time was it thought that staff or students were in danger," according to a release from the district. "However, as a precautionary measure, a search of the campus was conducted."

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After the search, police deemed the campus safe and released students and staff to lunch. Afternoon classes and activities resumed as usual.

"We are already debriefing the events of today," said Superintendent Dr. Michael Matthews in the release. "We will focus on the actions and communications that were effective as well as those which we could have improved."

Police and school officials are investigating the incident.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story reported that the lockdown lasted two hours. Police said Thursday it was approximately 45 minutes.

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