Sol Pais: Colorado police hunting ‘armed and extremely dangerous’ woman with multiple schools on lockdown including Columbine
Teenager said to be 'infatuated' with 1999 massacre
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Colorado police and the FBI are hunting an 18-year-old woman they say is “armed” and “extremely dangerous”, and who prompted a lockdown at Columbine High School just days before the 20th anniversary of the deadly shooting there.
That school and 20 others were ordered to undergo the special security measures after police received what they called a “credible threat”.
Police have identified the suspect as 18-year-old Sol Pais.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's office and the FBI said the teenager travelled to Colorado on Monday night and made threats, but provided not further details. The law enforcement agencies she had last been seen in the foothills west of Denver, where some of the schools put on lockdown are located.
Students left classes on time, but after-school activities were cancelled at Columbine in Littleton, Colorado.
“She is armed and considered to be extremely dangerous,” the sheriff's said in a statement. “She is a white female, 18 years old, approximately 5'5“ in height, with brown hair. She was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, camouflage pants, and black boots.”
The Denver Post said police considered Ms Pais to be “infatuated” with the shooting at Columbine, in which 13 students and staff were killed by pupils Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who took their own lives after police responded.
The mass shooting of 20 April 1999 appeared to make an inflection point in relation to gun violence and mass shootings at schools, triggering a series of copycat incidents.
Among the mass school shootings that followed were Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, and Parkland.
For the generation of students that was educated in the 20 years since Columbine, lockdowns and security drills have become a constant of school life. The AP pointed out security firms have forged a multibillion-dollar industry, introducing surveillance video, panic buttons and upgraded doors and locks. Police changed their strategies for responding to a gunman intent only on killing.
Donald Trump has called for the arming of teachers as a means to respond to something that plagues the country, a proposal that has been met with a mixed response from educators and police.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments