Police said she was in love with the shooting in Columbine. She's not alone

"There is an industry of curiosity around them among very crazy people," said Juliette Kayyem, an analyst at CNN. "These people have come to Columbine in the last four, five, or six months, just to end that, it's exactly what you heard the head of the school, it's not the same thing. is not finished. "

This strange subculture was particularly relevant Wednesday after the FBI announced a high school student "infatuated" by the Columbine shooting that went from Florida to Colorado and proffered credible threats.

The threats forced the closure of schools in 19 Colorado districts Wednesday as the FBI was looking for the suspect. The woman, Sol Pais, aged 18, was found dead Wednesday afternoon, apparently from a self-inflicted bullet wound, authorities said.

Authorities said that she had bought a shotgun on her arrival in Colorado and described her as wearing a black t-shirt, camouflage pants and black boots.

It's the same weapon and a similar outfit used by the Columbine shooters in 1999.

The mythology of Columbine

Ralph Larkin, author of the book "Comprehending Columbine", published in 2007, said that most of these Columbiners were romantic teenage girls and deifying shooters, in part because of their connection to the shooters.

"I think the Columbiners are generally seen as outcasts," he added.

Dave Cullen, who wrote a book about the shooting of Columbine, also said that these fans were empathetic or related to the mythology of the shooters.

"They correspond to the mold of the imaginary (shooter) that the world believes," he said. "That's why they identify with them, and all the mythology that (the shooters) are children who have defended the little guy and the tyrants everywhere. solitary convicts. "

Indeed, this community can not easily be described as some anonymous trolls.

"Fans may seem to identify with fencers, or even understand them, as social outcasts, or perhaps they are more attracted to the lure of being banned from joining a group as well. provocative, "wrote the author, Andrew Ryan Rico. "Or, and this is particularly relevant given the ubiquity and accessibility of technology, they could just do it to attract attention."

"Not all violence is motivated by racial or ethnic hatred, but the glorification of mass murders such as Columbine, Sandy Hook and Parkland could inspire senseless violence," the site said.

"Keeping this in mind, we are revising the community's guidelines on violent content by adding new wording specifically prohibiting the glorification of violent acts or perpetrators of such acts."

History of imitators

Being obsessed with Columbine does not make him a person at risk of committing acts of violence. Nevertheless, a number of mass shooters over the past two decades have been inspired by the Columbine shooters or admired them.

A woman who has become friends with Lanza Online said that he was "particularly focused and obsessed with mass murders and spree killings" and that he was considering the School shooters "with respect and understanding," according to heavily drafted FBI documents.

The police thought that he had studied the shooting and was trying to imitate him.

"The weapon, the dress code, the explosive-containing backpack and the Aguilar suicide method were all similar to those used during the Columbine incident," said a statement. Howard County police at the time.