Mexico Beefs Up Security After Julio César Jasso Ramírez Kills Canadian Tourist at Teotihuacán Pyramids

A man opened fire on tourists at the Teotihuacán pyramids outside Mexico City less than two months before the FIFA World Cup, prompting Mexico’s government to beef up security at tourist sites.

The Associated Press said the Monday shooting, carried out by a lone gunman on top of one of the Teotihuacan pyramids, killed one Canadian tourist and injured a dozen more.

Al Jazeera

The AP reported that the attack set off questions the next morning by reporters to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum about what security protocols her government was taking ahead of the sports competition, which Mexico will jointly host with the United States and Canada over the summer.

People magazine, citing the same incident, said a Canadian tourist was killed and that six others were injured, with four shot and two suffering falls, and it added that the shooter took his own life.

El Paso Times reported that a 27-year-old man opened fire from atop a pyramid within the sprawling complex, and that he then took his own life.

BBC described the gunman as a 27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramírez and said a 32-year-old Canadian woman had been killed and the gunman had died from a self-inflicted gun wound.

In the aftermath, Mexican officials said the site would reopen with reinforced security, with tv5monde reporting that the opening match is scheduled for June 11 in Mexico City and that the country expects more than 5.5 million visitors during the tournament.

In the days after the Teotihuacán attack, Mexico’s government moved to tighten security at archaeological sites and major tourist destinations as the World Cup approached.

The Associated Press reported that Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said security forces had been ordered to "immediately strengthen security" at archaeological sites and major tourist destinations across the country.

Associated Press

The AP said the government would increase the presence of Mexican National Guard, boost security checks at key sites, and fortify surveillance systems to "identify and prevent any threats" against citizens and visitors.

People magazine repeated Harfuch’s account, saying he told reporters on April 22 that security forces had been ordered to "immediately strengthen security" and that the government would increase the presence of the Mexican National Guard, boost security checks, and fortify surveillance systems to "identify and prevent any threats".

El Paso Times described the same tightening as officials said the gunman acted alone and that law enforcement would tighten security at archaeological sites and other top tourist sites.

Sheinbaum acknowledged the archaeological site lacked security filters to prevent the attack in part, and the Associated Press quoted her saying the shooting "was an isolated incident" that hasn’t occurred before in such a public space.

Across the reporting, Mexico’s security buildup included deploying 100,000 security forces across the country, concentrating them in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, and deploying more than 2,000 military vehicles along with dozens of aircraft and drones, with Sheinbaum saying "As you can see, we are very prepared for the World Cup."

Investigators and officials described the shooting as planned and carried out by a lone attacker, while they also pointed to materials found in his possession.

El Paso Times said Mexican officials said he acted alone, firing 14 times at the victims and at National Guard military police, and it reported that he carried a plastic bag of 52 live .38 Special–caliber rounds.

BBC similarly said the attorney-general of Mexico State José Luis Cervantes Martínez stated that the aggressor planned and carried out the attack on his own and that there was "absolutely no indication at this point that he had any external help or that any other individuals were involved in this incident."

BBC reported that among the gunman’s belongings, officials found a handgun, a bag of cartridges and a tactical knife, and it added that the attorney-general said they also found "literature, images, manuscripts apparently related to acts of violence which are known may have occurred in the United States in April 1999".

tv5monde reported that the prosecutor said a backpack was found on the scene with the pistol used against the tourists, a knife, and 52 rounds of ammunition.

tv5monde also included a witness account from Jacqueline Gutiérrez, an American tourist who witnessed the attack, telling Milenio that the assailant’s remarks were: "the place was made for sacrifices, not for our little photos, and that it was the anniversary of the Columbine massacre."

BBC described the evidence collected so far as pointing to a "psychopathic profile of the attacker" and said the attorney-general characterized it as copycat behavior.

Officials and analysts framed the attack as an isolated incident while also tying it to broader anxieties about security ahead of the World Cup.

The Associated Press reported that Sheinbaum acknowledged the archaeological site lacked security filters to prevent the attack in part, saying the shooting "was an isolated incident" that hasn’t occurred before in such a public space.

BBC

Sheinbaum also told reporters, "Our obligation as a government is to take the appropriate measures to ensure that a situation like this does not happen again. But clearly, we all know — Mexicans know — that this is something that had not previously taken place," and People quoted the same language.

Mexican security analyst David Saucedo told the Associated Press that "Events like this only further magnify the negative images that Mexico has on security issues, undermining the narrative that President Sheinbaum is trying to build that Mexico is a safe country."

In parallel, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he had "full confidence" in Mexico as a host country, and Sheinbaum vowed there would be "no risk" for fans coming to the tournament.

BBC quoted Attorney-General José Luis Cervantes Martínez saying the aggressor planned and carried out the attack on his own and that there was "absolutely no indication at this point" of external help.

tv5monde reported that the United States ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, expressed on X his sadness, and it also quoted Sheinbaum’s position that the attacker had psychological problems and that it was not a crime-related incident.

El Paso Times added that Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch told reporters, "The state's response was immediate and forceful," and that law enforcement would tighten security at archaeological sites and other top tourist sites.

Reporting diverged on how many people were injured and killed, and those differences fed into the urgency of Mexico’s World Cup security posture.

The Associated Press said the shooting killed one Canadian tourist and injured a dozen more, while People said a Canadian tourist was killed and six others were injured, with four shot and two suffering falls.

CityNews Vancouver

El Paso Times said Mexico’s security cabinet on Monday said 13 people were injured, including a 13-year-old and a 6-year-old, and it said seven of the victims suffered gunshot wounds.

BBC said a 32-year-old Canadian woman had been killed and that tourists from several nations, including Russia, Colombia and Brazil, were treated for their injuries in local hospitals, and it described the gunman as dying from a self-inflicted gun wound.

tv5monde said the shooting killed a Canadian woman and wounded 13 other tourists, including a six-year-old, and it reported that the shooting was carefully planned by its author, a 27-year-old Mexican.

These discrepancies mattered because Mexico’s government was simultaneously projecting safety and tightening controls, with the Associated Press reporting that Mexico doubled down on security measures including deploying 100,000 security forces and establishing security perimeters around areas like stadiums and airports.

El Paso Times said the prized site would reopen on Wednesday with reinforced security, and tv5monde reported that the National Institute of Anthropology and History announced the archaeological site would reopen to the public on Wednesday with a reinforced safety protocol.

Looking ahead, the Associated Press said FIFA was approached for comment about the pyramid shooting but typically does not address security issues, and it reported that Sheinbaum met with FIFA representatives to assess security for the World Cup matches to be played in Mexico.