Apr 17, 2019

Woman who made Columbine-related threats found dead

An 18-year-old woman who "made threats to commit an act of violence in the Denver metropolitan area," causing about 20 schools to close on Tuesday and Wednesday, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Denver FBI office confirmed.

Details: Authorities traced down the Florida woman, Sol Pais, who had traveled to Colorado and purchased a gun. Pais had an "infatuation" with the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. Her threat, which sparked a manhunt on Tuesday and Wednesday, came days before April 20 — the 20th anniversary of the Columbine shooting.

  • Officials said in a press conference that there have been many copycats in the past who were inspired by the Columbine shooting, but that this instance felt different and credibly dangerous — which is why they made the decision to close schools in the Denver metro area.

Go deeper: The 10 deadliest school shootings since Columbine

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Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 4:30 p.m. ET: 12,128,406 — Total deaths: 551,552 — Total recoveries — 6,650,675 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 4:30 p.m. ET: 3,088,913 — Total deaths: 132,934 — Total recoveries: 953,420 — Total tested: 36,979,745 — Map.
  3. Public health: More young people are spreading the virus — Cases rise in 33 states — Florida reports highest single-day death toll since pandemic began.
  4. Science: World Health Organization acknowledges airborne transmission of coronavirus.
  5. 1 🐂 thing: How the world could monitor for potential pandemic animal viruses.
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Alison Snyder
2 hours ago - Science

More young people are getting — and spreading — the coronavirus

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

More young people are being infected with the coronavirus, and even though they're less likely to die from it, experts warn the virus' spread among young adults may further fuel outbreaks across the United States.

Why it matters: Some people in their 20s and 30s face serious health complications from COVID-19, and a surge in cases among young people gives the virus a bigger foothold, increasing the risk of infection for more vulnerable people.

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Jacob Knutson
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Joint Chiefs chairman condemns Confederate symbols

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley criticized Confederate symbols before the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday, and called the Civil War an "act of treason."

Why it matters: Milley said that minority service members — which he noted make up 43% of the U.S. military — may feel uncomfortable that Army bases are named for Confederate generals who "fought for an institution of slavery that may have enslaved one of their ancestors."

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