Sol Pais, woman infatuated with Columbine, is dead

LITTLETON, Colo. — Authorities said an 18-year-old woman who was described as being "infatuated" with the mass shooting at Columbine High School was found dead Wednesday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

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Authorities said Sol Pais, 18, of Surfside, Florida, flew Monday from Miami to Colorado, where she purchased a shotgun and ammunition, according to KMGH-TV and WFOR-TV. She also "made threats in the Denver metropolitan area," prompting several school lockdowns Tuesday and closures of 20 school districts Wednesday, the FBI Denver Division and Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said.

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Update 4:45 p.m. EDT April 17: Authorities said a teenager who was obsessed with the Columbine school shooting and may have been planning an attack raised suspicions after making unspecified comments to people at home in Florida and buying three one-way tickets to Denver.

FBI agent in charge Dean Phillips in Denver said Wednesday that people who talked to 18-year-old Sol Pais contacted police in Florida, who in turn notified the FBI on Tuesday.

Phillips said Pais flew to Denver on Monday, using the earliest ticket she purchased, then went straight to a gun shop to buy a shotgun.

Update 2:05 p.m. EDT April 17: Officials with the FBI plan to hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon to provide more details on the investigation into Pais.

The news conference was scheduled to start at 4 p.m. EDT.

Pais, a student at Miami Beach High School in Florida, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in Colorado on Wednesday, according to the Jefferson County sheriff.

Update 1:55 p.m. EDT April 17: Authorities said Pais legally purchased a shotgun from the Littleton area, near Columbine High School, after she arrived in Colorado from Florida.

Officials said she was found dead Wednesday morning of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after she made threats that prompted the closure of hundreds of schools in the Denver area.

"As confirmed by the FBI, Sol Pais has been found deceased and the potential threat is over," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. "It's times like these that help us appreciate friendship, family, and community. Today, parents across Colorado – including me - are hugging their children a little tighter."

Update 1:45 p.m. EDT April 17 : Officials with the FBI continue to work the scene where authorities found Pais dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Shrader said Wednesday.

Shrader said FBI officials would provide more information on the case later Wednesday.

Update 1:30 p.m. EDT April 17: Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Shrader confirmed authorities found Pais dead of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound Wednesday.

Authorities are speaking at a news conference in Colorado.

Update 1:20 p.m. EDT April 17: Officials with Jefferson County Public Schools will hold a news conference at 1:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday.

Update 1:05 p.m. EDT April 17: A law enforcement official told CNN that Pais was found dead Wednesday.

Authorities did not immediately confirm her death. In a statement released earlier Wednesday, FBI officials said the threat Pais posed was over.

Update 12:45 p.m. EDT April 17: Authorities with the FBI's Denver office and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said "there is no longer a threat to the community" Wednesday after officials said they were conducting unspecified "investigative activity" at the base of Mt. Evans connected to Pais.

Authorities said more information would be released later Wednesday.

Update 12:35 p.m. EDT April 17: Authorities with the FBI's Denver office confirmed they were conducting unspecified "investigative activity" at the base of Mt. Evans after a news station reported Pais had been found.

Authorities did not immediately confirm the report from KCNC-TV that Pais was taken into custody in the area.

"The investigation is active and ongoing," FBI officials said.

Update 11:15 a.m. EDT April 17: Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said school officials are cooperating with investigators searching for Pais, who is a student at Miami Beach High School.

Carvalho emphasized Wednesday that "no imminent or immediate threat" had been made to schools in his district and "based on preliminary information, she has not been the subject of any investigation."

"The student last seen in Colorado and the threats appear to be limited to schools in that area," he said.

Original report: Pais, who is white with brown hair, is about 5 feet, 5 inches tall and "was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, camouflage pants and black boots," authorities said in a Facebook post. Her last known location was the Jefferson County foothills.

Officials said Pais is armed and "extremely dangerous."

"We are operating out of an abundance of caution," the Facebook post said. "Threat is not isolated to one school or individual. Federal, state & local law enforcement are working together to keep our community safe."

Investigators are urging anyone who has information about Pais' whereabouts to call the FBI tipline at 303-630-6227.

Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, which left 13 people dead.

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