NPR
Gunman shoots several tourists at historic pyramids in Mexico
+956 words added -742 words removed
By
The Associated Press
Forensic workers carry the body of a victim down a pyramid after authorities said a gunman opened fire, in Teotihuacan, Mexico, Monday, April 20, 2026.
Sponsor Message
Become an NPR sponsor
− Eduardo Verdugo/AP hide caption
MEXICO CITY — An armed man standing atop one of the historic Teotihuacan pyramids opened fire on tourists Monday, killing one Canadian and leaving at least 13 people injured at the archaeological site north of Mexico's capital, authorities said.
+ Eduardo Verdugo/AP hide caption
MEXICO CITY — The gunman who opened fire on tourists at Mexico's iconic Teotihuacan pyramids carried materials that were apparently related to the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, authorities said Tuesday, a day after the attack that killed a Canadian woman and left at least 13 people injured.
− The shooter was identified as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso of Mexico, a state official told the AP on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak about the case.
+ Although officials did not mention Columbine by name, they referred to several books and handwritten notes that belonged to the gunman and referenced attacks in the United States in April 1999.
− Jasso later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said, and security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition.
+ Monday marked the 27th anniversary of the massacre in Colorado.
Among the gunman's belongings was a photo modified by artificial intelligence showing him alongside the Columbine attackers, according to a state official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to address the media.
A man with a gun shot at tourists at the historic Teotihuacan pyramids outside Mexico City on Monday.
− Jasso was the sole assailant in the attack, the State of Mexico government confirmed on Monday night.
+ Kevin S. Vineys/AP hide caption
Seven people were wounded by gunshots at the archaeological site north of the Mexican capital, the local government said. The nature of the other injuries was not disclosed, but some people fell when the shooting started, including some who were climbing on the pyramids.
− The local government said seven people were wounded by gunshots.
+ The assailant, who acted alone, shot and killed himself, authorities said, and security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition at the scene.
The attack happened less than two months before Mexico co-hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.
− How the other people were injured was not disclosed, but a number of people fell when shooting started, some while climbing on the pyramids.
+ Mexico's security secretary, Omar García Harfuch, said major tourist destinations would see a heightened presence of both ground forces and digital "cyber patrols" to prevent threats.
− Those taken to hospitals for treatment were six Americans, three Colombians, one Russian, two Brazilians and one Canadian, the local government said.
+ "Yesterday's attack highlights the urgent need to strengthen our security protocols," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said.
− The youngest person who was injured was 6; the oldest was 61, Mexican authorities said.
+ She also noted the importance of analyzing "external influences" that may provoke such violence within the country.
− A man with a gun shot at tourists at the historic Teotihuacan pyramids outside Mexico City on Monday.
+ While such attacks are uncommon in Latin America, they are not unheard of.
− Kevin S.
+ Earlier this month, Argentine authorities linked a teenager to the "true crime community" after the teen killed one student and wounded eight others at a school in the central province of Santa Fe.
− Vineys/AP hide caption
Video and photos published by local media showed a man, later identified as Jasso, standing with a gun on top of a pyramid while people ducked for cover. A number of gunshots rang out in the videos.
+ The community is an online subculture that emerged from forums established after the Columbine massacre to discuss and, in some cases, glorify such violence.
− The Teotihuacan pyramids, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are a series of massive structures on the outskirts of Mexico City built by three different ancient civilizations.
+ Taken to hospitals after the Mexico attack were six people from the U.S., three from Colombia, one from Russia, one from Brazil, one from the Netherlands and one from Canada, the local government said.
− As one of Mexico's most important touristic destinations, the site drew more than 1.8 million international visitors last year, according to government figures.
+ The youngest person who was hurt was 6; the oldest was 61, Mexican authorities said.
− The shooting took place shortly after 11:30 a.m.
+ Authorities identified the attacker as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramírez, a native of Guerrero, Mexico, who, they said, arrived in Teotihuacan a day earlier in an Uber and stayed in a hotel.
Then on Monday shortly before noon, while atop the Pyramid of the Moon, he began firing at tourists with an old revolver while holding a plastic bag containing 52 .38-caliber cartridges in his other hand, said José Luis Cervantes Martínez, the attorney general of the state of Mexico, which includes Teotihuacan.
The Pyramid of the Moon, left, and the Pyramid of the Sun, back right, are seen along with smaller structures lining the Avenue of the Dead, in Teotihuacan, Mexico, March 19, 2020.
− when dozens of tourists were at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon.
+ Rebecca Blackwell/AP hide caption
From the summit of the pyramid, the attacker opened fire on tourists and targeted approaching security forces.
− The 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.
+ Some people threw themselves to the ground and lay motionless to avoid detection. Others fled down the structure as gunshots echoed, Cervantes Martínez said.
− "Some people, because they were scared ...
+ National Guard members eventually scaled the pyramid and wounded the attacker in the leg.
− threw themselves face down on the ground, and the rest of us started to go down," the guide said, recounting how the shooter, upon seeing the tourists descending the pyramid's steps, began firing.
+ Witnesses said the gunman shot and killed himself once he felt cornered, according to Cervantes Martínez.
− Another group of visitors lay motionless on the pyramid's platform to avoid being targeted by the shooter, who authorities have not yet identified.
+ The assailant carried a tactical-style backpack containing an analog cellphone and bus tickets, Cervantes Martínez said.
− Brenda Lee, of Vancouver, British Columbia, said she was waiting to buy a souvenir when she and others in her group thought they heard firecrackers.
+ The attorney general also noted the presence of "literature, images and manuscripts" that related to "violent incidents known to have occurred in the United States in April 1999," a likely reference to the Columbine attack in which 12 students and a teacher were killed.
− "Before we knew it, someone said, 'No, that's gunfire, run,' and we saw people coming off the top," she told CTV News, one of Canada's national television broadcasters.
+ Investigators built "a psychopathic profile" of the suspect that was "characterized by a tendency to copy situations that occurred in other places, at other times and involving other figures,'" he added.
− "There were thousands of people there and there were a lot of gunshots that just kept coming," Lee said.
+ Greg Magadini, of Boise, Idaho, was with a tour group on top of the pyramid when he heard a loud crack followed by screaming. The gunman was about 40 feet (12 meters) away on the same platform with roughly 60 tourists, he said.
− The scene quickly turned chaotic as people tried to escape, Lee said.
+ Magadini jumped down a ledge and scrambled for cover while two of his friends stayed on the platform above trying to hide.
− "And then a fellow jumped," she said.
+ Shots seemed to ring out every five seconds, Magadini said, as he and the others jumped down more ledges to reach the ground.
− "It was someone trying to get away, and he dropped to the next level, but he fell on his back, and it was ... it just was awful."
In past years, staff at the archaeological site carried out security scans before people entered the area but have since stopped, one local guide noted.
+ Then they ran through a field behind the pyramid, carrying one of his friends who badly injured her ankle on one of the jumps.
− The Pyramid of the Moon, left, and the Pyramid of the Sun, back right, are seen along with smaller structures lining the Avenue of the Dead, in Teotihuacan, Mexico, March 19, 2020.
+ Magadini, who came away with scrapes and cuts, said he did not see the shooter, but his friends said the gunman seemed to fire randomly in all directions.
− Rebecca Blackwell/AP hide caption
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the shooting would be investigated and that she was in touch with the Canadian Embassy.
+ "Everyone was a target," he said.
− "What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us.
+ Later at the hospital, they talked with other tourists, who said the shooter at one point played strange music and taunted them, saying he hated tourists, Magadini said.
The Teotihuacan pyramids, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are a series of ancient structures on the outskirts of Mexico City.
− I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families," she wrote.
+ As one of Mexico's most popular tourist destinations, the site drew more than 1.8 million international visitors last year, according to government figures.
− Anita Anand, Canada's foreign affairs minister, said on X that as a "result of a horrific act of gun violence, a Canadian was killed and another wounded in Teotihuacán" and that her "thoughts are with their family and loved ones."
Later in the evening U.S.
+ Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney offered condolences to the family and friends of the Canadian tourist who was killed.
− Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson also expressed "deep concern" and sadness over the deaths and numerous injuries, and said on a post on X that the U.S. is "ready to provide support as needed while Mexican authorities continue their investigation."
The National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement that the Teotihuacán archaeological site will remain closed until further notice.
+ He said Canadian authorities were working with those in Mexico.
+ "It's a terrible circumstance," Carney said.