Gunman Kills Canadian Woman, Injures 13 at Teotihuacan Pyramids in Mexico

A gunman opened fire on tourists at Mexico’s Teotihuacan pyramids, killing a Canadian woman and injuring at least 13 others, authorities said after the attack at the Pyramid of the Moon in the State of Mexico.

La Provence, quoting AFP, said the attacker “then killed himself” after shooting at the heavily visited site “around noon” on April 20, 2026.

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The BBC reported that “A Canadian woman was killed and 13 others were injured” at the popular tourist site northwest of Mexico City, and that the gunman fatally shot himself after a standoff with police.

PBS, citing AP, said the gunman acted alone and “shot and killed himself,” and that security officials found “a gun, a knife and ammunition at the scene.”

The BBC also said the gunman fired from one of the Pyramid of the Moon’s platforms and that “Several shots are heard; a 32-year-old Canadian tourist was shot dead in the incident.”

In the immediate aftermath, the BBC reported that Teotihuacán was closed in the wake of the shooting and would reopen on Wednesday with reinforced security, while La Provence said police and the National Guard were deployed and crime-scene tape cordoned off the now-empty complex.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum posted on X that “What happened today at Teotihuacan deeply saddens us,” and Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand condemned “a horrible act of gun violence.”

Investigators said the Teotihuacan gunman carried materials tied to the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, linking the attack to a U.S. mass shooting that occurred in April 1999.

PBS reported that “authorities said Tuesday” the gunman “carried materials that were apparently related to the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School,” and that officials referred to “several books and handwritten notes” referencing attacks in the United States in April 1999.

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The Associated Press text carried the same account, saying the gunman’s belongings included “a photo modified by artificial intelligence showing him alongside the Columbine attackers,” according to a state official speaking to AP on condition of anonymity.

The BBC similarly said José Luis Cervantes Martínez, attorney general of the State of Mexico, described “literature, images and documents allegedly related to acts of violence that ... may have occurred in the United States in April 1999.”

DW reported that Mexican authorities said the gunman carried “several books and handwritten notes that referenced attacks in the United States in April, 1999,” and that the gunman also possessed an “AI-altered photo depicting him with the Columbine attackers.”

La Provence said early investigations indicated “it would appear to be a direct assault,” and it described the shooter as masked and firing intermittent shots with a handgun from a mid-height landing on the Moon Pyramid.

PBS and AP both tied the timing to the anniversary, noting that Monday was “the 27th anniversary of the massacre in Colorado,” and the BBC said the gunman’s threats were captured on videos recorded by tourists.

The BBC also reported that Cervantes Martínez said “This act was not spontaneous,” and that the gunman had repeatedly visited the archaeological site and arrived on Monday “just before noon local time.”

Mexican authorities identified the attacker as Julio César Jasso Ramírez, a 27-year-old Mexican national, and described how he carried out the shooting from atop the Pyramid of the Moon.

The BBC said “Julio César Jasso Ramírez, 27, a Mexican national” carried “a handgun, dozens of cartridges, a knife and literature referencing acts of violence,” and that the gunman planned and carried out the attack alone.

PBS and AP both identified him as “27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramírez,” a native of Guerrero, Mexico, and said he arrived in Teotihuacan “a day earlier in an Uber and stayed in a hotel.”

According to PBS, he began firing “while atop the Pyramid of the Moon” with an old revolver while holding “a plastic bag containing 52 .38-caliber cartridges” in his other hand, and he later died by suicide after National Guard members wounded him in the leg.

The BBC added that the gunman fired “14 times at the victims and the responding officers,” and that a National Guard member and a municipal police officer scaled the pyramid to corner him.

La Provence described the Moon Pyramid as “the site’s only pyramid that visitors can climb via steep stairs in volcanic stone,” and it said the pyramid is “45 meters tall,” with videos showing the attacker firing intermittently from a mid-height landing.

Investigators also said they found a firearm, a bladed weapon “(knife)” and ammunition at the site, and PBS and AP said security officials found “a gun, a knife and ammunition at the scene.”

The BBC reported that Sheinbaum said the gunman showed “signs of psychological problems” and was influenced by “incidents that occurred abroad,” while Cervantes Martínez told reporters “This act was not spontaneous.”

Witnesses described panic and rapid movement as the gunman fired from the Pyramid of the Moon, with some tourists jumping down ledges and others trying to hide.

PBS quoted Greg Magadini, of Boise, Idaho, saying he was with a tour group on top of the pyramid when he heard “a loud crack followed by screaming,” and that the gunman was “about 40 feet (12 meters) away on the same platform with roughly 60 tourists.”

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Magadini told AP that he “jumped down a ledge and scrambled for cover while two of his friends stayed on the platform above trying to hide,” and he said the shots “seemed to ring out every five seconds.”

The Associated Press account also described how some people threw themselves to the ground and lay motionless to avoid detection, while others fled down the structure as gunshots echoed, quoting attorney general José Luis Cervantes Martínez.

PBS said Magadini and others ran through a field behind the pyramid, carrying one of his friends who “badly injured her ankle on one of the jumps,” and it said Magadini came away with “scrapes and cuts.”

La Provence said videos circulated on social networks showed the attacker, with his face masked, firing intermittent shots with a handgun from a mid-height landing, and it described police and forensic experts at the top of the pyramid in a cordoned-off complex.

The BBC said “Videos recorded by tourists there showed the gunman making threats as visitors tried to make their way to safety,” and it reported that “Several shots are heard” as the Canadian tourist was killed.

DW and AP both said some people fell when the shooting started, including those climbing on the pyramids, and PBS said some people targeted approaching security forces from the summit.

After the Teotihuacan attack, Mexican officials said they would strengthen security at archaeological and tourist sites, including measures tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The BBC reported that Sheinbaum ordered strengthened security at both archaeological and tourist sites nationwide, including “the installation of metal detectors at the entrances of Teotihuacán and other sites,” and it said she vowed to guarantee safety during the global football event that “kicks off on 11 June in Mexico City.”

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PBS said Mexico’s security secretary, Omar García Harfuch, told reporters that major tourist destinations would see a heightened presence of both ground forces and digital “cyber patrols” to prevent threats, and it quoted Sheinbaum saying, “Yesterday’s attack highlights the urgent need to strengthen our security protocols.”

The Associated Press account similarly said Sheinbaum noted the importance of analyzing “external influences” that may provoke such violence within the country, and it described the “true crime community” after Argentine authorities linked a teenager to a school attack in Santa Fe.

The BBC also reported that Sheinbaum said there are “no security checkpoints at archaeological sites,” and it said Teotihuacán would reopen on Wednesday with reinforced security.

La Provence said the shooter’s materials included a firearm, a bladed weapon and ammunition found by federal authorities, and it described the Moon Pyramid as a site where visitors can climb via steep stairs, emphasizing the challenge of protecting a platform accessible to tourists.

The BBC reported that 13 people were treated in hospital after being injured, ranging from six to 61, and it said seven were wounded by gunshots, including two minors from Colombia and Brazil.

In a separate account, La Provence said the attacker opened fire “around noon” and that “At least 13 foreign tourists” were wounded, including “a six-year-old child,” and it listed nationalities among the injured.