Julio César Jasso Kills Canadian Tourist at Teotihuacán Pyramids as Mexico Officials Say Attack Planned

A gunman killed a Canadian tourist and wounded at least 13 other visitors at the Teotihuacán pyramids in Mexico on Monday, and Mexican officials said the attack was planned rather than spontaneous.

“MEXICO CITY -- An armed man standing atop one of the historic Teotihuacán pyramids opened fire on tourists Monday, leaving one Canadian tourist dead and six people injured at the archaeological site an hour north of Mexico's capital, authorities said”

ABC7 Los Angeles

Mexican authorities identified the shooter as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso of Mexico, and multiple outlets reported that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after opening fire.

ABC7 Los Angeles

The shooting occurred at the UNESCO World Heritage site, described as being about 50 kilometres northeast of Mexico City, and it began around 11:30 a.m. local time, with witnesses describing gunfire and panic as tourists tried to escape.

The Globe and Mail reported that the gunman may have timed the Monday attack to coincide with the 27th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, and the National Post said officials described evidence pointing to him being inspired by the U.S. massacre.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed solidarity with victims and said she instructed her security cabinet to investigate, while Prime Minister Mark Carney thanked Sheinbaum for her “personal attention” and said Canada was working with Mexican authorities.

The Security Cabinet of Mexico said 13 people, including a Canadian listed as 29-year-old Delicia Li de Yong, were taken to hospital, and it also reported that five people had been discharged while eight remained in hospital.

In parallel, the BBC reported that police recovered a firearm, a bladed weapon, and live cartridges at the scene, as the investigation continued into what the attacker carried and what he said during the incident.

Investigators and officials tied the Teotihuacán attack to the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado, and they described the incident as carefully prepared in advance.

The Globe and Mail said officials identified the gunman as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso of Mexico and said he may have timed the Monday attack to coincide with the 27th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting.

BBC

The National Post reported that Mexican State Prosecutor Jose Luis Cervantes said the gunman had made multiple visits to the pyramids, “stayed in hotels near the site ahead of time, and from there planned his violent acts.”

The National Post also quoted Cervantes saying, “The collected evidence…reveals a psychopathic profile of the attacker, characterized by a tendency to copy situations that happened in other places at other times by other people,” and it said a backpack was found at the scene with a gun, knife and 52 rounds of ammunition.

The Globe and Mail added that the gunman carried a backpack containing books and materials related to “violent incidents known to have occurred in the United States in April, 1999,” and it described the Columbine shooting as starting at about 11:30 a.m. local time.

The BBC reported that the Mexican government’s security cabinet said 13 people with ages ranging from six to 61 had been treated in hospital after being injured in the incident.

Several outlets also described what the attacker did during the attack, including the BBC’s account that the gunman appeared to fire most shots into the air while carrying a digital tablet and shouting.

In addition, the Globe and Mail said the gunman randomly fired from atop one of the pyramids while ranting about hating tourists and playing strange music, and it described visitors jumping and ducking for cover as shots thundered through the site as people tried to escape.

Government officials and foreign leaders reacted quickly as details emerged about the shooting and the injuries.

“The shooting at the Teotihuacan pyramids site, a major tourist attraction in Mexico that left one dead and 13 injured on Monday, had been 'planned' by the shooter who subsequently killed himself, the Attorney General of the State of Mexico said on Tuesday, April 21”

BFM

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said, “What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us,” and she told the BBC she was in touch with the Canadian embassy while instructing her security cabinet to investigate and provide “all necessary support.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters in Ottawa that “It’s a sad day,” and he thanked Sheinbaum for her “personal attention” while saying, “We’re working with Mexican authorities on the situation.”

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said her Mexican counterpart was investigating the attack and that Canadian officials were assisting victims, and the CityNews Ottawa report quoted Anand saying, “Our consular officials are on the ground assisting the remaining victims, and in particular the Canadians who are in Mexico.”

On the Mexican side, attorney general Jose Luis Cervantes Martínez told reporters that the gunman had “literature alluding to attacks and to figures connected to this type of violence,” and the National Post quoted Cervantes describing the evidence as revealing a “psychopathic profile.”

Witnesses described chaos as tourists tried to flee the Pyramid of the Moon, with the BBC quoting a British couple saying, “There was a big push and panic of everybody running at the same time to get out.”

Another witness, Carolina Adrian, told the Globe and Mail that “At first I thought it was fireworks,” before she saw people running and throwing themselves down the pyramid’s stairs.

Brenda Lee, a tourist from Vancouver, told the Globe and Mail, “We all ran for it,” and said, “There’s no time to think. You just go.”

In Ottawa, Carney also said, “I very much appreciate President Sheinbaum’s personal attention to the matter,” as the investigation continued and security preparations were discussed for the World Cup.

While most reports agreed that a Canadian was killed and at least 13 people were injured at Teotihuacán, they differed in how they emphasized planning, evidence, and the immediate aftermath.

The Globe and Mail foregrounded the claim that the attack was planned and said the gunman may have timed it to the 27th anniversary of Columbine, while also describing the site as a UNESCO World Heritage location about 50 kilometres northeast of Mexico City.

CBC

The National Post similarly described planning in advance, quoting Jose Luis Cervantes Martínez on the gunman’s multiple visits and hotel stays, and it emphasized the backpack contents including “52 rounds of ammunition.”

The BBC focused more on the immediate incident and recovery of evidence, stating that police recovered a firearm, a bladed weapon, and live cartridges, and it described chaotic scenes through a British couple’s account.

CTV News and CityNews Ottawa both described the shooting as planned and attributed that characterization to officials, but CityNews Ottawa also quoted Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand on consular officials being “on the ground.”

The CBC report differed in its identification timeline for the injured Canadian, saying the attorney general’s office for Mexico state had previously identified the injured Canadian as Felicia Lee, 26, before Mexican authorities on Tuesday identified her as Delicia Li de Yong, 29.

The Times of India described the gunman’s death as suicide after the attack and said the shooting occurred around midday on the Pyramid of the Moon, a 45-metre-high structure visitors are allowed to climb.

ABC7 Los Angeles described the injuries in a different breakdown, saying four people were wounded by gunshots and two were injured from falls, and it placed the incident shortly after 11:30 a.m. when dozens of tourists were at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon.

Across these accounts, the common thread was the attacker’s death by self-inflicted gunshot wound and the use of the Teotihuacán pyramids as the setting, but the emphasis varied between evidence details, witness narratives, and injury accounting.

The shooting prompted immediate security adjustments and renewed calls for stronger controls at tourist sites, with the World Cup looming as a backdrop in multiple reports.

“A Canadian tourist was shot and killed Monday while visiting the Teotihuacán pyramids in Mexico, according to local authorities”

CBS News

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the attack showed Mexico’s urgent need to strengthen its security protocols, and the North Shore News report quoted her saying, “Yesterday’s attack highlights the urgent need to strengthen our security protocols,” while also stressing the need to analyze “external influences” that may provoke such violence within the country.

CBS News

Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s security secretary, said major tourist destinations would see a heightened presence of both ground forces and digital “cyber patrols” to prevent threats, and the Globe and Mail said Mexico beefed up security at multiple tourist sites on Tuesday.

The Globe and Mail also reported that Omar García Harfuch said there would be a heightened presence of ground forces and digital “cyber patrols” at major tourist sites ahead of the tournament, and it tied the schedule to June 11, 2026, when Mexico is set to start hosting 13 matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The BBC said the incident came with seven weeks to go before the first match of the Fifa World Cup was held in Mexico City, while the North Shore News said Mexico co-hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup in less than two months.

Sheinbaum called for tighter gun controls at tourist areas after Monday’s attack, and the Le Devoir report said she called for strengthened security in tourist areas as the investigation progressed.

The Le Devoir also quoted Sheinbaum calling for stronger checks to prevent the introduction “of firearms on an archaeological or tourist site,” and it said the National Institute of Anthropology and History announced the archaeological site would reopen to the public on Wednesday, “with a strengthened security protocol.”

In Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada was working with Mexican authorities, and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Ottawa and Mexico were in “very close contact” while Canada reviewed issues related to bilateral relations.

The CBC report also noted that Global Affairs Canada advises travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico due to “high levels of criminal activity and kidnapping,” and it said the posted advice was last updated on March 31.