Third announced threat locks down campus

By Lizzy Tsuang

Executive News Editor

Mira Costa received another threat today, causing a school-wide lockdown after Costa Principal Dr. Ben Dale made an announcement over the loudspeaker at approximately 12:15 p.m. informing all students to barricade classroom doors.

This is the third announced threat in exactly a week as of today. In an email that Dale sent to Costa parents and staff, he stated that Manhattan Beach Police Department officials are currently on campus and conducting a search. Updated information will be sent to parents shortly.

UPDATE as of 1:02 p.m.

In an email Manhattan Beach Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Matthews sent to district parents, he stated that the threat was sent via voicemail message. MBPD officials have evaluated the extent of the threat. Based on MBPD’s evaluation, students have been brought outside in a “controlled area” while MBPD searches the campus.

“This process should not take long, and we believe it is very likely that we will be able to verify that the entire campus is safe and continue the day of learning for our students,” Matthews said in the email. “Safety is our highest priority, and we are confident that [MBPD is] taking every precaution to ensure that our students and staff are safe.”