Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine
A gunman opened fire Monday at the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacán, killing a Canadian woman and wounding 13 others at one of Mexico’s most visited archaeological sites before turning the weapon on himself.
The shooting happened around 11:30 a.m. at the Pyramid of the Moon, roughly 50 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of Mexico City. According to a tour guide who spoke to the Associated Press anonymously for safety reasons, the man was standing on the pyramid’s platform when he began firing upward at tourists. As people scrambled to descend the steep stone steps, he turned and continued shooting at them.
Witnesses described scenes of panic. Tim Chung, an American tourist visiting from Seattle, told reporters he saw a person fall from one of the viewing platforms, then heard a shot, then another fall. “I knew something bad was happening,” Chung said. A Vancouver resident named Brenda Lee, who was near a vendor’s stand when she heard what she thought were firecrackers, got a swift reality check. “Somebody asked, ‘Was that gunfire?'” she told CBC News. “And the vendor said: ‘Yes, that’s gunfire — run.'”
Local prosecutors identified the gunman as Julio Cesar Jasso Ramirez, a Mexican national, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Security officials recovered a firearm, a knife, and live cartridges at the scene.
Among those hospitalized were six Americans, three Colombians, two Brazilians, one Russian, and a Canadian. Mexico’s Secretary of Government said eight people remained hospitalized Monday evening.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed that one Canadian was killed and another wounded. “My thoughts are with their family and loved ones,” Anand wrote on social media.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said she was in contact with the Canadian Embassy and directed federal, state, and local authorities to respond and investigate. Mexico State Gov. Delfina Gómez Álvarez said security forces would maintain a presence at the site. By late Monday, local officials described the archaeological zone as “calm and under control.”
World Cup Timing Adds Scrutiny
The attack lands at a sensitive moment. Mexico is co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Canada this summer, and the prospect of millions of international visitors has brought renewed attention to public security. Teotihuacán, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, drew more than 1.8 million international visitors last year and is considered one of the country’s flagship tourist destinations.
The site itself has been a cultural touchstone for tourists across the Americas and beyond. Built by three successive ancient civilizations, its two towering pyramids — the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon — attract visitors year-round, particularly during the spring equinox.
Canada’s travel advisory for Mexico urges travelers to exercise a high degree of caution “due to high levels of criminal activity and kidnapping.” That guidance was last updated March 31, weeks before Monday’s attack.
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing.
At a Glance
- What: Shooting at the Pyramid of the Moon, Teotihuacán archaeological site
- When: Monday, April 21, around 11:30 a.m. local time
- Dead: 1 Canadian woman; gunman (self-inflicted)
- Injured: 13 total, including 6 Americans, 3 Colombians, 2 Brazilians, 1 Russian, 1 Canadian
- Gunman: Identified as Julio Cesar Jasso Ramirez, Mexican national
- Site: UNESCO World Heritage Site, ~50 km (30 miles) northeast of Mexico City; 1.8 million international visitors in 2024
- Status: Site secured; federal, state, and local investigation underway
Source: CNN, CBC News, PBS/AP