The gunman who opened fire on tourists at Mexico’s iconic Teotihuacan pyramids had planned the attack and carried materials that were apparently related to the deadly 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, authorities said Tuesday, a day after the shooting that killed a Canadian woman and left at least 13 people injured.
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. Monday marked the 27th anniversary of the massacre in Colorado.
Seven people were wounded by gunshots at the archaeological site north of the 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 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. 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.
“Yesterday’s attack highlights the urgent need to strengthen our security protocols,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said. She also noted the importance of analyzing “external influences” that may provoke such violence within the country.
Taken to hospitals 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. The youngest person who was hurt was 6; the oldest was 61, Mexican authorities said.
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In an update Tuesday morning, Mexico’s security cabinet said the injured patients were being treated at a clinic after spending the night in stable condition.
Authorities identified the attacker as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramírez, a native of Guerrero, Mexico, who they said had carefully scouted the pyramids before opening fire.
The assailant carried a tactical-style backpack containing an analog cellphone and bus tickets, said José Luis Cervantes Martínez, the attorney general of the state of Mexico, which includes Teotihuacan.
Martínez 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.
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,’” the prosecutor added.
The Teotihuacan pyramids, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are a series of ancient structures on the outskirts of Mexico City. As one of Mexico’s most important tourist destinations, the site drew more than 1.8 million international visitors last year, according to government figures.
The shooting took place shortly after 11:30 a.m. Monday, when dozens of tourists were at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon. The gunman fired 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, because they were scared … threw themselves face-down on the ground, and the rest of us started to go down,” the guide said, recounting how the shooter began firing as tourists descended the pyramid’s steps.
Another group of visitors lay motionless on the pyramid’s platform to avoid being targeted.
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.
“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.
“There were thousands of people there and there were a lot of gunshots that just kept coming,” Lee said.
The scene quickly turned chaotic as people tried to escape, Lee said.
“And then a fellow jumped,” she said. “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.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney offered condolences to the family and friends of the Canadian tourist who was killed. He said Canadian authorities were working with those in Mexico.
“It’s a terrible circumstance,” Carney said.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand vowed to leave “no stone unturned” in ensuring a fulsome investigation.
Associated Press Writer Megan Janetsky contributed to this report. Additional files from Global News
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