A Canadian tourist was killed and several foreign visitors were injured on Monday in a shooting at the archaeological site of Teotihuacan, near Mexico City. The attack, which occurred in broad daylight at one of the country’s most popular tourist spots, has deeply shocked people and raised questions about security as the 2026 World Cup approaches.
The shooting broke out around noon at the Pyramid of the Moon, one of the iconic monuments of the site. Authorities from the State of Mexico said that an armed man opened fire from a landing halfway up the structure before taking his own life.
Videos circulating on social media show the shooter, with his face covered, firing intermittently. In one of the videos, a witness can be heard saying, “We’re under fire, be careful, send security.” Law enforcement then secured the area, while forensic experts were on the scene.
Footage also shows police and forensic experts at the top of the pyramid in an empty complex cordoned off with crime scene tape.
One person, a Canadian tourist in her twenties, was fatally shot.
Among the 13 injured foreign tourists, six were hit by bullets, including a six-year-old child. In total, three Colombians, a Canadian, two Brazilians, six Americans, and one Russian were injured.
Videos from AFPTV show forensic experts and Red Cross members carrying a body wrapped in a white sheet down from the pyramid.
The shooter, Julio César Jasso Ramírez, was a Mexican man in his thirties who shot himself. He had gunshot wounds to the head. Authorities suspect a possible “direct attack” but have not specified the shooter’s motives. A firearm, a bladed weapon (a knife), and ammunition were found at the scene.
The investigation continues to establish the exact circumstances of the attack and whether the victim was specifically targeted.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed deep sadness over the incident, while Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand denounced the “horrible act of armed violence.”
While accidents have been reported at Teotihuacan, an armed attack of this magnitude is unprecedented in decades. The event comes less than two months before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Mexico is co-hosting with the United States and Canada. The country expects to welcome over 5.5 million visitors, raising security concerns at tourist sites.
Teotihuacan is located about 50 km from the capital, where daily excursions depart for national and foreign tourists. With its Sun and Moon pyramids and Avenue of the Dead, Teotihuacan is the most significant monument of the pre-Hispanic classical period at its peak in the Valley of Mexico between the 1st and 7th centuries.
From January to July 2025, Teotihuacan’s pyramids were the second most visited archaeological site in the country, with over a million tourists, behind Chichen Itza, according to official figures. Mexico has over 200 archaeological sites popular with tourists, where accidents have occurred, but this is the first reported case of an armed assault in decades.
