South High School in Torrance Locked Down After Reported Bomb Threat

South High School in Torrance was placed on lockdown Wednesday, September 23, after authorities received a report of multiple bombs on the school campus.

According to the Torrance Police Department, its communications center received the call shortly after 11:30 a.m. The caller reportedly said there were multiple bombs at South High School before hanging up.

Officers immediately responded to the campus and established a significant police presence around the school. School administrators placed South High on lockdown while officers began assessing the reported threat.

As a precaution, police escorted pedestrians away from the area and evacuated several nearby residences. Richardson Middle School, which is located near South High, also took precautionary measures while authorities handled the situation.

The incident affected the area around Pacific Coast Highway and Calle Mayor. Authorities asked members of the public to avoid the area while the investigation was underway.

Initial assessments by officers and the Torrance Police Department’s Real Time Response Center did not identify anything suspicious on the campus. Police then brought in K-9 teams trained to detect explosives to conduct a systematic search of the school grounds.

Students remained at the school while authorities worked to determine whether the campus was safe. Parents were directed to wait at a nearby Ross parking lot on Pacific Coast Highway while police and school officials worked on a plan for reunifying students with their families.

Reports later indicated the police response was cleared after the campus search, although some roads and areas around the school remained affected during the response.

There have been no confirmed reports of an active shooting at South High School connected to this incident. The lockdown was triggered by the reported bomb threat, rather than a confirmed shooting.

The incident remains under investigation as authorities work to determine who made the threat and the circumstances surrounding the call. Officials have not reported finding an explosive device at the school in the information reviewed.

South High School is located at 4801 Pacific Coast Highway in Torrance and is part of the Torrance Unified School District.