Mexico City: A gunman opened fire Monday, April 20, 2026, from atop the Pyramid of the Moon at the Teotihuacan archaeological site in the State of Mexico, killing a Canadian tourist and injuring 13 others before taking his own life, local authorities reported.
The attacker, identified by the State of Mexico Attorney General's Office as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramírez, began shooting at approximately 11:20 a.m. local time. According to a tour guide who witnessed the events and spoke with the AP news agency on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, the man fired upward from the pyramid's platform. "Some people, because they were scared, threw themselves face down on the ground, and the rest of us started to go down," the guide recounted.
Authorities found handwritten notes and materials apparently related to the 1999 Columbine massacre in the attacker's backpack. Among the injured tourists were Colombian, Russian, and Canadian citizens, according to the State of Mexico government.
Mexican Government Response
President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed solidarity with the victims: "What happened today in Teotihuacan deeply hurts us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the people affected and their families. We are in contact with the Canadian Embassy." Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch announced that security forces received orders to "immediately strengthen security" at archaeological zones and key tourist destinations across the country.
Impact on 2026 World Cup Security
The attack generated a wave of questions about security in Mexico less than two months before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Mexico co-hosts with the United States and Canada. The government announced the deployment of 100,000 security personnel across the country, particularly concentrated in the three host cities: Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. More than 2,000 military vehicles, dozens of aircraft and drones were also deployed, and security perimeters were established around stadiums and airports. Sheinbaum promised there would be "no risk" for fans attending the tournament, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino declared he had "full confidence" in Mexico as a host country.
