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Teen Who Was Obsessed With Columbine Found Dead After FBI Search Prompts Lockdown Of Denver-Area Schools
A teenager who was alleged to have made threats in honor of Coumbine's 20th anniversary was found dead, according to CBS Denver.
Previously, Denver police warned of an armed teenager who was "infatated" with the Columbine mass shooting and was on the loose wielding a firearm.
According to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Sol Pais, 18, reportedly flew from Miami, Florida on Monday night.
Once she arrived in Denver, Pais purchased a pump-action shotgun and ammunition in Denver and made verbal threats just a few days ahead of the 20th anniversary of Columbine, in which two senior students murdered 12 students and one teacher on April 20, 1999.
Denver public schools are closed due to the threats being seen as "credible and general," according to Patricia Billinger, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Public Safety.
All facilities and programs at the schools were closed on Wednesday, with students being sent home as early as Tuesday afternoon after being alerted to the warning.
The closures are a collaborative effort with Denver metro-area school districts.
Billinger said her department is prepared to act accordingly.
"We always have heightened awareness close to high-profile anniversaries like this."
Boulder Valley School District Superintendent Rob Anderson wrote a letter to parents after the unanimous decision to close the schools.
Anderson wrote:
"We couldn't take the risk of having one student or staff member injured -- so superintendents unanimously decided late last night to close school."
The Huffington Post reported Pais was last seen in a black T-shirt, camouflage pants, and black boots near Coumbine, in the Jefferson County foothills outside Denver.
Special agent Dean Phillips, who heads the FBI in Denver said on Tuesday night:
"This has become a massive manhunt ... and every law enforcement agency is participating and helping in this effort."
An effort to reach her parents from a listed number in Surfside, Florida, was intercepted by a man claiming to be a member of the FBI who was already interviewing the parents, according to The Denver Post.
Federal and state officials were in the process of developing appropriate charges since there wasn't enough probable cause to arrest her.
Pais's body was found in the Echo Lake area near the base of Mount Evans. She appeared to have taken her own life as evidenced by her self-inflicted wounds.
CBS reported on the breaking story:
"Before the announcement of her death, 20 or 30 armed officers including a SWAT team and a Clear Creek County snowcat were spotted near the Echo Lake Campground in the Arapaho National Forest in the midst of an extensive search operation."
People expressed their gratitude over the proper handling of the case with no casualties.
Details about her death are forthcoming after a press conference with Jefferson County Public Schools.