Update: Law enforcement says it found Sol Pais dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Clear Creek County near Mount Evans.
More than two dozen Colorado school districts are closed Wednesday as authorities engage in a massive search for Sol Pais, an 18-year-old from Florida who is reportedly “infatuated” with the Columbine shooting and considered armed and extremely dangerous.
Superintendents took the unprecedented step of closing hundreds of schools that serve tens of thousands of students in consultation with the FBI and local law enforcement after many Jeffco schools were on lockout Tuesday. The 20th anniversary of the Columbine shooting is Saturday.
Even before the decision was announced, many parents said on social media that they planned to keep their children home. It’s not clear how long schools will stay closed if Pais is not found Wednesday.
According to police, Pais traveled to Colorado and bought a shotgun and ammunition here. She has not made any specific threats to a specific school, but she has made statements that authorities consider a credible threat to schools, authorities said at a press conference Tuesday evening.
She was last seen in the foothills in Jefferson County and is wearing a black T-shirt, camouflage pants and black boots. Anyone with information should call the FBI tip line at 303-630-6227.
You can find a complete list of closures here.
CO Public Safety@COPublicSafetySol Pais is armed and dangerous. We are operating out of an abundance of caution. The threat is not isolated to one school or individual. Federal, state, and local law enforcement are working together to keep our community safe. Tip Line: 303-630-6227. Media Line: 303-630-6427.
Educators and parents, we’d like to hear from you. How are you talking to your children about today’s closure? How does this feel different from other safety threats? Please share your thoughts in our survey.
Good thing thoughts and prayers weren’t required.