Manhattan Beach campus locked down after lighter fluid, matches found in backpack
Authorities locked down a Manhattan Beach high school for about two hours Wednesday after an abandoned backpack containing lighter fluid and matches was found on campus.
The incident was reported about 10 a.m at Mira Costa High School. Manhattan Beach police searched the campus, including offices and rooms, according to a department statement.
Police also searched all student backpacks. The school has 2,500 students.
After the searches were completed, students, teachers and administrators were allowed to go to lunch.
Police officials said the investigation into the incident was continuing.
-- Andrew Blankstein
EDITOR'S PICKS:
Absolutely ridiculous. People are far too paranoid and prone to overreaction these days. And don't give me that "FOR THE CHILDREN!!" schtick, it is extremely unlikely that anyone was in danger at all.
Posted by: Tirau | September 08, 2010 at 03:55 PM
I'm curious how many more matches and lighters they found when they searched the rest of the back packs. This sounds like an over reaction to me but, then again, there's no information about the quantities of the items or the location of the back pack.
Posted by: George | September 08, 2010 at 05:19 PM
What next an FCC SWAT team for two cans and a length of string?
God Forbid an X-ACTO knife or safety razor were found that would obviously trigger an immediate jailing of all within a two block perimeter.
Common sense is now officially extinct
Posted by: TruthTeller | September 08, 2010 at 06:17 PM
The above comments are ridiculous. Over react? Have people forgotten some of the horrible things that have happened on high school campuses, and usually wealthy schools just like Mira Costa. Lighter fluid? Was the kid going to a bbq after school? Is it likely that nothing would have happened? Of course, but schools can't take the chance. If some kid burned a building down and someone was killed and it came out that the adults knew about a threat, you would all be attacking them for their incompetence. As a parent I'd much rather they not take any chances.
Posted by: HS | September 08, 2010 at 07:21 PM
Talk about being P/C!!! Too extreme!
Posted by: Fritzer | September 08, 2010 at 07:25 PM
The term police state describes a state in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic and political life of the population. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Posted by: Roberto Allende | September 08, 2010 at 07:48 PM
Hey with 2,500 students you never know what one of them might be capable of, and I believe that the situation was handled appropriately. There is absolutely no productive reason to bring lighter fluid to school, no matter the quantity. And Hell, if it means that I get to miss a couple of hours of school while they conduct their search, go right ahead.
Posted by: anonymous | September 08, 2010 at 08:10 PM
Thanks Roberto for the educational lesson. I was about to learn this in class but for some reason it got shut down due to police activity. Next time come up with a unique thought of yours instead of copying stuff from the internet.
Posted by: Me | September 09, 2010 at 10:07 AM
Kids and adults get used to it, this is the new police state.
Of course they could have positioned police in sensitive areas to flush out any wrong doing, but illegally searching 2500 people is such a better show of force.
That'll learn those brats.
Look at the upside though, had they had found an abandoned backpack with a joint in it, they would have strip searched all 2500 people.
Posted by: John | September 09, 2010 at 11:06 AM
So? Last time I checked, lighter fluid & matches are legal. Over-reacting again.
Posted by: kgoddess | September 09, 2010 at 12:30 PM