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South Philadelphia High was locked down after a student brought live ammunition to school

Security officers discovered the ammunition when the student passed through the school’s metal detector.

South Philadelphia High School, shown in this file photo, was locked down Thursday after a student brought live ammunition to school in their backpack.
South Philadelphia High School, shown in this file photo, was locked down Thursday after a student brought live ammunition to school in their backpack.Read moreTyger Williams / Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

Live ammunition was discovered in a South Philadelphia High student’s possession Thursday morning, and the school was locked down for a time.

The student, 17, carried a 9mm magazine with one live round in a backpack into the South Broad Street school, officials said; security officers discovered the ammunition when the student passed through the school’s metal detector.

The student was detained by security officers, the school’s perimeter was searched, and a lockdown was called.

“While we are fortunate that this item was not accompanied with a firearm, it is still an item that is prohibited on any School District of Philadelphia property, and, per district policy, the school was secured while a thorough search for other potential prohibited items on school grounds was conducted,” district spokesperson Christina Clark said in a statement.

The search yielded no such prohibited items, officials said. The lockdown has since been lifted.

According to the district’s code of conduct, the student will be referred to a diversion program and suspended pending disciplinary transfer.