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In a shocking incident at the Teotihuacán pyramids in Mexico, a gunman opened fire on Monday, leaving a trail of injuries among tourists. Six Americans were reported among those wounded in this unexpected assault at one of the country’s renowned tourist spots.
Authorities have identified the gunman as Julio César Jasso Ramírez. According to official reports, Ramírez had previously visited the pyramids multiple times, allegedly to survey the area for planning his attack. This premeditated reconnaissance underscores the calculated nature of his violent actions.
The attack resulted in the tragic death of a Canadian tourist, while 13 others sustained injuries. This includes visitors from a diverse array of countries, highlighting the international impact of the incident.
Besides the American tourists, those injured also hail from Russia, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Canada, according to the authorities. The incident has sent shockwaves through the global community, raising concerns about security in tourist destinations.
Among the others injured are six people from the U.S. and others from Russia, Brazil, the Netherlands and Canada, officials said.
Law enforcement in the region received initial reports of the shooting at 11:20 a.m. Monday. The National Guard quickly responded, and officials said the gunman took his own life at 11:45 a.m.
One tour guide who witnessed the shooting told The Associated Press the gunman fired upward.
“Some people, because they were scared … threw themselves face-down on the ground, and the rest of us started to go down,” the tour guide said.
The gunman carried materials related to the Columbine High School shooting, officials said. (Barak Hardley)
During a news conference Tuesday, Mexican officials said they found “literature, images and handwritten manuscripts, all allegedly related to violent events known to have occurred in the United States in April 1999” in the gunman’s backpack, referring to the Columbine High School shooting from April 20, 1999.
Officials said the gunman was carrying 52 live rounds of .38 special caliber ammunition inside a plastic bag and a knife.
Police and forensic workers stand on a pyramid after authorities said a gunman opened fire in Teotihuacan, Mexico, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the shooting in a social media post Monday.
“What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families,” she wrote. “Yesterday’s attack highlights the urgent need to strengthen our security protocols.”
José Luis Cervantes Martínez, the attorney general of the state of Mexico, said investigators built a “psychopathic profile” of the gunman, which was “characterized by a tendency to copy situations that occurred in other places, at other times and involving other figures.”
The Teotihuacán archaeological site will be closed until further notice after the shooting, the National Institute of Anthropology and History said in an announcement.