Canadian Tourist Killed, Another Injured After Gunman Opens Fire at Mexico Pyramids

A Canadian woman was killed and a second Canadian was injured by a gunman in a planned shooting on April 20 at the Teotihuacán pyramids near Mexico City, Mexican authorities say.

Local news footage appeared to show an armed man ​firing from the summit of one of the pyramids, which is among the ​country’s most visited tourist attractions. A number of gunshots rang out while people ducked and ran for cover.

The name of the Canadian killed has not been released.

Officials say the gunman carried a tactical-style backpack and had literature related to the deadly 1999 Columbine High School shooting in the United States.

Mexico State Attorney General Jose Luis Cervantes Martinez told an April 21 press conference that the shooter, who has been identified as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso of Mexico, acted alone.

The attorney general’s office confirmed in a statement that 13 people, including Canadian Delicia Li de Yong were wounded. The 29-year-old sustained a gunshot in her upper back, the attorney general’s office said.

Seven of the 13 people injured were hit by the gunman’s bullets, officials said, but did not provide further details. Aside from the one injured Canadian, six Americans, three Colombians, one Russian, and two Brazilians were hurt.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told reporters during an April 21 press scrum that Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto Velasco Álvarez has committed to undertaking an investigation into the Canadian woman’s death.

“I want to assure Canadians that our consular officials are on the ground assisting the remaining victims, and in particular the Canadians who are in Mexico,” she said ahead of the government’s April 21 cabinet meeting. “I will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that Canadians are supported abroad, and that this investigation uncovers facts relating to the death—the murder—of a Canadian citizen on Mexican soil.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney commented briefly on the shooting on his way to the cabinet meeting.

“It’s a terrible circumstance,” Carney said. “I very much appreciate President Sheinbaum’s personal attention to the matter, and we’re working with Mexican authorities on the situation, but it’s a sad day.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on X that she was “closely following the situation” and promised her government would provide timely updates as the investigation unfolds.

“What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us,” she said in an April 20 post. “I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families.”

Shooting Details

The shooting occurred just before noon, when a large group of tourists was at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon, authorities said.

The gunman standing on the structure’s platform began firing upward, according to a tour guide who was at the scene and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. The guide said the shooter began firing when he saw tourists descending the pyramid’s steps causing some people to throw themselves face down on the ground to avoid being targeted.

Police officers providing security at the archeological ruins responded to the sounds of gunfire, followed shortly after by a National Guard unit.

Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar Garcia Harfuch said in a statement that the gunman took his own life after being surrounded by security forces. Security officials later found a gun, a knife, and ammunition at the scene.

Seven of the 13 people injured were hit by the gunman’s bullets, officials said but did not say what injuries the other people sustained. Aside from the one injured Canadian, six Americans, three Colombians, one Russian, and two Brazilians were hurt. Among the injured were two children—a six-year-old and a 13-year-old—although officials did not say if either of them were hit by bullets.

Garcia Harfuch said the presence of the National Guard would be increased in the area, preventive inspections and access controls would be reinforced, and surveillance systems would be strengthened in response to the incident.

Teotihuacan’s pyramids are a group of massive structures situated on the outskirts of Mexico City that were built by three different ancient civilizations.

Government figures say the site attracted more than 1.8 million international visitors last year.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.