(Sub)Culture
Pais was reportedly obsessed with the Columbine shooting and had traveled to Denver on its 20th anniversary to buy a gun
Sol Pais, the 18-year-old woman who was the subject of an FBI manhunt following reports that she was “obsessed” with Columbine, has been found dead in Denver, according to the FBI (per the New York Times). She was reportedly seen running naked through the woods with a gun and was found dead at the base of Mt. Evans of an “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Shrader told the Times.
“We can confirm that Sol Pais is deceased,” the Denver branch of the FBI tweeted Wednesday afternoon. “We are grateful to everyone who submitted tips and to all our law enforcement partners for their efforts in keeping our community safe.”
Pais was a student at Miami Beach High School who was reportedly obsessed with the school shooting at Columbine, the high school where 13 people were shot and killed 20 years ago. The manhunt for Pais led to almost 150 schools and districts in Colorado to go on lockdown and be shut down. Earlier in the day, the FBI wrote that there was “no longer a threat to the community,” but did not explicitly confirm Pais’ death.
#Breaking: Sol Pais was located near the Echo Lake Lodge in Clear Creek County after reports of a woman matching her description running naked through the woods with a gun.
Investigators confirm she is dead.https://t.co/CEPbz25Xn3 pic.twitter.com/NuEO1hazcr— Anica Padilla (@AnicaPadilla) April 17, 2019
According to the FBI, Pais flew from her home in Miami to Colorado earlier this week, with her parents reported her missing on Monday night. Upon arrival in Colorado, she bought a shotgun and ammunition at a Littleton-area store. (Colorado state law requires those selling guns to perform background checks on potential buyers, though as the Denver-based publication Westward notes, that process only takes about 15 minutes.)
According to a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) report issued by authorities, Pais was considered “armed and dangerous.” In a press conference, an FBI special agent said she had “expressed an infatuation with Columbine,” though he did not specify the nature of the infatuation. NBC News reports that she kept an online journal where she documented her desire to take her own life and procure weapons, which also included drawings of Columbine shooter Dylan Klebold. (Law enforcement has not confirmed whether the diary belonged to Pais.)
#BREAKINGNEWS
Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force issues BOLO on 18 yr old
Sol Pais, wanted in connection with school threats in Denver area.
Reports she is "infatuated" with #Columbine HS massacre.
Considered armed and extremely dangerous. pic.twitter.com/GBd40G7du0— Rob Quirk (@KOAARobQuirk) April 16, 2019
In interviews with journalists, Pais’s father said he last spoke with his daughter on Sunday, and that the past few days have been “a nightmare.” He toldthe Miami Herald that she’s “maybe got a mental problem,” and urged his daughter to come home.
