Colorado schools closing due to Sol Pais threat

The Elizabeth and Elbert school districts will be closed Wednesday, as law enforcement searches for 18-year-old Sol Pais. She is believed to have traveled to Colorado and made credible threats against Denver-area schools.

Most school districts in and around Denver have decided to close for the day, due to those threats. In a statement, Colorado Springs District 11 says it will be on heightened alert Wednesday, with extra security on campuses.

Here is a statement posted to the district’s Web site:

“We have been monitoring the school safety situation in the Denver metro area regarding a threat made by an individual toward local schools. Information about the situation was addressed in a press conference on Tuesday evening on local news stations and can be monitored through the Colorado Department of Public Safety at https://twitter.com/COPublicSafety.

In collaboration with other Denver-metro area school districts, all Elizabeth Schools and programs will be closed on Wednesday, April 17 due to the ongoing safety concern. This includes Legacy Academy. All facilities and programs are closed for the day – no employees are to report. There will be no afternoon activities or athletic competitions. We will continue to keep families updated on this situation before the end of the day on Wednesday.”

ORIGINAL STORY:

Columbine High School and about a dozen other schools are on lockdown as law enforcement says it is investigating what appears to be a credible threat possibly involving the schools.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is looking for 18-year-old Sol Pais, who apparently traveled to Colorado and made the threat against the schools. She’s described as about 5’5″ with brown hair, and she was last seen in the foothills of Jefferson County.

Pais is considered armed and dangerous, according to the FBI.

A JCSO spokesperson said no threat was made specifically against a school, but the local departments were brought in to the FBI investigation because Pais was last seen in the foothills of the county.

School officials say the doors were locked but classes were continuing Tuesday at Columbine and two other nearby schools and at other schools farther away in the district.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were posted at the schools involved.

The lockdown comes just days before the 20th anniversary of a mass shooting at the school that killed 12 students and a teacher. There was no immediate indication whether Tuesday’s lockdown has any connection to the anniversary.