Mexico tourist site shooter may have been inspired by Columbine massacre, officials say

A lone gunman opened fire from the Pyramid of the Moon at the Teotihuacan pyramids outside Mexico City, killing a Canadian woman and injuring at least 13 other people in an attack Mexican officials said may have been shaped by violent acts in the United States.

Authorities identified the suspect as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramírez. They said he acted alone, fired from atop the Pyramid of the Moon, reloaded a revolver at least twice and died by suicide after the shooting. Police found a revolver, a knife, ammunition, an analog cellphone and bus tickets at the scene, along with 52 rounds of ammunition.

Investigators said the man carried handwritten or printed materials referencing violent incidents believed to have occurred in the United States in April 1999, which officials linked to Columbine High School in Colorado. Mexican officials described the evidence as consistent with a possible copycat effect, underscoring how grievance narratives and mass-violence tactics can travel through media ecosystems and cross national borders long after the original event.

The victims reflected the site’s global reach. Along with the woman who died, six Americans were among the injured, and other wounded visitors came from Colombia, Russia, Brazil, the Netherlands and Canada. Officials said the youngest injured person was 6 and the oldest was 61. Some injuries happened when people fell or panicked while fleeing the attack.

By Tuesday, six of the seven people hospitalized with gunshot wounds had been released or were stable, while the others remained under medical evaluation. The Teotihuacan pyramids were closed after the attack, cutting off access to one of Mexico’s most visited archaeological sites and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that drew more than 1.8 million international visitors last year.

The shooting landed at a sensitive moment for Mexico, which is preparing to host World Cup matches in 2026 and has been working to present itself as a safe destination for international visitors. The attack, in a place visited by families, school groups and foreign tourists, has renewed scrutiny of security at cultural landmarks where crowded public spaces can become sites of trauma as well as heritage.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the government would investigate thoroughly and support the victims. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Prime Minister Mark Carney said they were in close contact with Mexican authorities and offered condolences and support. State of Mexico officials, including security secretary Cristóbal Castañeda Camarillo and Attorney General José Luis Cervantes Martínez, said the assault appeared to have been premeditated and that the suspect had visited the site before, staying in nearby hotels while planning the attack.