Florida woman accused of threatening Denver schools found dead
Apr 17, 2019, 10:09 AM | Updated: 2:56 pm
This combination of undated photos released by the Jefferson County, Colo., Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 shows Sol Pais. (Jefferson County Sheriff's Office via AP)
(Jefferson County Sheriff's Office via AP)
The 18-year-old Florida woman who sparked a manhunt after allegedly threatening schools in metro Denver this week was found dead in Colorado on Wednesday.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Sol Pais was “deceased,” but did not immediately provide information.
We can confirm that Sol Pais is deceased. We are grateful to everyone who submitted tips and to all our law enforcement partners for their efforts in keeping our community safe.
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) April 17, 2019
Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Shrader said Pais was discovered by the FBI with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Pais was allegedly “infatuated” with Columbine, the Colorado high school that was the site of a mass shooting in 1999.
The 20th anniversary of the shooting is on Saturday.
FBI agents had focused the search for Pais around the base of Mount Evans, a popular recreational area about 60 miles southwest of Denver.
The FBI said Pais was “considered to be extremely dangerous” and “made threats to commit an act of violence in the Denver metropolitan area.”
Sheriff’s spokesman Mike Taplin said the young woman’s threats were general and not specific to any school.
Public schools in the Denver area were closed Wednesday as the manhunt continued. All classes and extracurricular activities for about a half-million students were canceled as a precaution.
Pais had been wanted since Tuesday, one day after she flew to Colorado and bought a pump-action shotgun and ammunition.
Pais’ parents last saw her on Sunday and reported her missing to Florida authorities on Monday night, police in Surfside, Florida, said.
Adam Charni, a Miami Beach High School senior, said Pais dressed in black and kept mostly to herself. He said he was “baffled” to learn she was the person authorities in Colorado were searching for.
Another classmate, 17-year-old junior Drew Burnstine, said Pais was a quiet, smart student who sat alone in class and “never caused problems or indicated that she wanted to harm anyone.”
Messages left by The Associated Press at two numbers listed for Pais’ relatives in Florida were not immediately returned, while another number was disconnected.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
