CO - Sol Pais, Threats to Columbine High and 20 other schools

[meanmaryjean]

Dang- I was stunned to learn she is only 18- she looks 30+.

 

[Hatfield]

That press conference is now over and there was not much new that we didnt already post here.

There is supposed to be another Press Conference done by the FBI Denver a little later today.

My thoughts and prayers are shifting to her parents, family , and few friends she may have had. I also am deeply grateful that nobody else was hurt in Colorado and the folks there in Colorado can now go back to normal.

Its sad that mental issues in this world take a serious toll on people.

Here is a little news on the FBI press conference a little later. Not sure what link they will use.

"We will be hosting a press conference at 2:00 PM at 8000 East 36th Ave. Media staging will begin at 1:40 PM."

FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) | Twitter

"

 

[x_files]

Dang- I was stunned to learn she is only 18- she looks 30+.

That's what troubles me! Not sure I can accept this as reality.

 

[Bennett]

I don't know, some people just look older than their age. If anyone is a sports fan, remember Greg Oden? When he was playing at Ohio State he looked 45, not 19.

 

[x_files]

I don't know, some people just look older than their age. If anyone is a sports fan, remember Greg Oden? When he was playing at Ohio State he looked 45, not 19.

Yes, I know it's just really hard to believe she was just 18.

 

[cattlekate]

So sad. And so many questions.

1. She flew into Denver Monday night. Her parents notice she doesn’t come home from high school. They alert LE at what time? How did she pay for the flight?

2. On Tuesday morning, she somehow gets from DIA to Littleton and seeks to purchase a pump-action shotgun and ammo from a Littleton dealer. Her background check passes and she walks out. Purchasing the gun and immediately walking out was all legal.

Even if Colorado LE had a heads-up that there was a depressed teenager flying to Denver wanting to purchase a gun, nothing could’ve legally stopped her from same-day buying and walking out of the sporting goods store with a long gun, correct?

Or would’ve Colorado’s new Red Flag Law stopped her?

3. What was the “credible threat” based on? Looking over the “skull entry” blog and gun forum, nothing she wrote was a direct threat.

4. Did she have her phone with her and was she monitoring the manhunt and then panicked? Would there even have been a manhunt had she not been able to get a gun so fast?

Edit - she purchased the gun on Monday.

 

[Breezie]

Argentineans Rock!

2003 article

Sol had at least one sibling. The 2003 article mentions that dad worked hard to support two little girls and a wife. Dad was working a lot and money was tight when she was younger.

From article: In contrast Gardi Pais plays three, four, or more nights a week in bars so he can cover his monthly expenses, which include two cute little girls and a wife.

The Gardis have a busy weekly schedule that usually consists of a gig in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesdays, Miami Springs on Thursdays, and Irish House in Miami Beach on Fridays, along with a show at North Beach's Sandbar every other Saturday.

 

[cattlekate]

or tear it down. I wouldn't feel safe visiting that campus nor sending a child there due to crazy copycat shooters!

There was much discussion about that. But it was built in 1973 and has a whole community built around it.

When the nearby Southwest Mall was struggling in the 2000s, I had hoped Columbine would be torn down, the land annexed into existing Clement Park, and the Southwest Mall turned into a high school campus.

She bought the long gun at Colorado Gun Broker - across the street from Southwest Mall. All legal.

Littleton gun shop owner says he legally sold shotgun to woman behind school threats

 

[x_files]

There was much discussion about that. But it was built in 1973 and has a whole community built around it. When the nearby Southwest Mall was struggling in the 2000s, I had hoped Columbine would be torn down, the land annexed into existing Clement Park, and the Southwest Mall turned into a high school campus.

She bought the long gun at Colorado Gun Broker - across the street from Southwest Mall. All legal.

Littleton gun shop owner says he legally sold shotgun to woman behind school threats

I feel bad for the community because two criminals forever changed their town.
yikes.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Teen 'infatuated' with Columbine found dead; wrote about suicide, guns in apparent journal

The 18-year-old, who prompted a massive manhunt in Colorado, appears to have drawn pictures of guns and knives and written about plans she was making.

 

[Thinker22]

At least now those wanting to visit the Columbine Memorial on the 20th will not be worrying about Pais and her plans. The memorial is in a corner of Clement Park that overlooks the high school, and is worth stopping at for anyone interested in such things.

 

[Breezie]

The Gardis Say Adios

2008 article provides more background info on Sol. If she were not musical, then she might have felt like an outsider, in her own family. If the family did move to Seattle and back that might have been a difficult adjustment for her.

From article:

"I see the barmaid more than my own wife," says lead singer and guitarist Gardi País. The boys break out into hysterical giggles for one long moment before the mood shifts to bittersweet. They'll perform just one more show at their home base before most of them move on to the greener pubs of the Evergreen State. They figure Seattle residents will have a finer appreciation of their rocking roots.

"While most bands are lucky to find one or two weekly gigs, we performed 300 nights a year, and we always got paid because we knew how to put this together with a lot of flavor," says País.

 

[Pi Thoughts]

A Florida teenager “obsessed” with the Columbine massacre has taken her own life a day after sparking a massive police search, who had described her as “armed and dangerous”.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has said that he and all of the state’s parents are “hugging their children a little tighter” after a teenager allegedly obsessed with the 1999 Columbine High School attack was found dead.
‘Columbine’ teen dead after manhunt

 

[x_files]

The Gardis Say Adios

2008 article provides more background info on Sol. If she were not musical, then she might have felt like an outsider, in her own family. If the family did move to Seattle and back that might have been a difficult adjustment for her.

From article:

"I see the barmaid more than my own wife," says lead singer and guitarist Gardi País. The boys break out into hysterical giggles for one long moment before the mood shifts to bittersweet. They'll perform just one more show at their home base before most of them move on to the greener pubs of the Evergreen State. They figure Seattle residents will have a finer appreciation of their rocking roots.

"While most bands are lucky to find one or two weekly gigs, we performed 300 nights a year, and we always got paid because we knew how to put this together with a lot of flavor," says País.

music would have been a much healthier obsession.

 

[cakegirl0905]

Argentineans Rock!

2003 article

Sol had at least one sibling. The 2003 article mentions that dad worked hard to support two little girls and a wife. Dad was working a lot and money was tight when she was younger.

From article: In contrast Gardi Pais plays three, four, or more nights a week in bars so he can cover his monthly expenses, which include two cute little girls and a wife.

The Gardis have a busy weekly schedule that usually consists of a gig in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesdays, Miami Springs on Thursdays, and Irish House in Miami Beach on Fridays, along with a show at North Beach's Sandbar every other Saturday.

Good lord, how sad is that. This family, chasing the American dream, and this is basically where all their lives end. She had to had extreme mental illness and I wonder how apparent it was to those around her.
I have mixed feelings because this girl (let’s face it she was still a girl) threatened my own children and family and I’m glad the threat is gone. But god, she was just a sick, sick, sick kid.

 

[Hatfield]

Good lord, how sad is that. This family, chasing the American dream, and this is basically where all their lives end. She had to had extreme mental illness and I wonder how apparent it was to those around her.
I have mixed feelings because this girl (let’s face it she was still a girl) threatened my own children and family and I’m glad the threat is gone. But god, she was just a sick, sick, sick kid.

Well said.
The mixed emotions we get from these cases is a tough thing to handle for us.

When I first started following cases here on WS and especially cases involving some of the horrendous murder cases, I used to have a very one sided opinion of hating the murderer and only wished the death penalty on most of them.

As the years have gone on and I have learned from some great WS members here that are experts in phsychology, I have gotten a better understanding of some of the severe emotional issues that "some" of the murderers and criminals have. It helps to begin to understand why some of them do what they do.

We can always still hate their terrible actions and yes some of them are just plain mean people that have no issues at all, but some of them are truly disturbed mentally. Even though it can never be an acceptable excuse for the terrible actions and behaviors, it does help us to begin to understand why some of them do what they do.

From real post-pardum depression cases, to cases like this where we find out the person is really disturbed mentally, it begins to help us see why some of the people do such horrible things we read about.

Unfortunately, even with that insight, we still dont have many answers to help prevent some of these tragic cases, except for the common theme of trying to get people medical help if and when we find out someone is not doing well mentally.

 

[PrairieWind]

Good lord, how sad is that. This family, chasing the American dream, and this is basically where all their lives end. She had to had extreme mental illness and I wonder how apparent it was to those around her.
I have mixed feelings because this girl (let’s face it she was still a girl) threatened my own children and family and I’m glad the threat is gone. But god, she was just a sick, sick, sick kid.

Do we know much about the threats she made? At least, in the end, she elected to NOT hurt anyone else, and only took her own life. I can't imagine how devastating this day is for her family.

 

[PrairieWind]

Sometimes I think its a miracle any of us survive our teenage years. I do think it helps if parents can get their kids interested/passionate about something (music, sports, science, something). Of course I know that kids that do have mental or emotional issues have trouble developing that sort of thing.

 

[cattlekate]

Watching the FBI presser on 9News. FBI says she bought 3 one-way tickets to DIA, on three days - April 15, 16, 17. She flew here Monday the 15, so why is she buying more tickets?

FBI is non-specific about “credible threats” which caused action to ramp up Tuesday morning. A few hours later schools started lock-downs Tuesday afternoon.

Was the “credible threat” her Monday afternoon walk-in, walk-out gun purchase? It was totally legal for her to do that. There is no waiting period for a long-gun purchase.

 

[PrairieWind]

I hope we hear specifics on those "credible threats" soon. I think it will tell us a lot about her state of mind. I certainly am ok with the FBI and other LE taking quick action.