A violent attack at the historic Teotihuacan Archaeological Site in Mexico left one Canadian tourist dead and at least 13 others injured on Monday after an armed man opened fire from the top of a pyramid.
Authorities identified the suspect as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso, a Mexican national.
A state official, who spoke anonymously due to lack of authorization, said the suspect later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Officials also confirmed that a firearm, a knife, and ammunition were recovered, adding that he acted alone.
According to authorities, seven victims sustained gunshot injuries while others were hurt during the panic that followed the attack.
Several people reportedly fell while trying to escape as shots rang out across the site.
The injured include six Americans, three Colombians, two Brazilians, one Russian, and one Canadian.
Officials said the victims range in age from six to 61.
Videos shared by local media showed the gunman standing on a pyramid and firing as tourists scrambled for safety, with multiple gunshots clearly heard in the footage.
The shooting occurred at the UNESCO-listed Teotihuacan complex, one of Mexico’s most visited archaeological attractions, which recorded more than 1.8 million international visitors last year.
Eyewitnesses said the incident began shortly after 11:30 a.m. while tourists were gathered near the Pyramid of the Moon. A tour guide at the scene described how the situation quickly descended into chaos.
“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, adding that the shooter fired as visitors attempted to descend the structure.
The guide also noted that some tourists lay still on the platform in an attempt to avoid being targeted during the attack.
Canadian visitor Brenda Lee, from Vancouver, said she initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks.
“Before we knew it, someone said, ‘No, that’s gunfire, run,’ and we saw people coming off the top,” she told CTV News.
“There were thousands of people there and there were a lot of gunshots that just kept coming,” she added.
She described widespread panic as visitors ran in different directions, including one man who jumped from a higher platform in an attempt to escape.
“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.”
A local guide also revealed that security screening procedures previously carried out at the entrance have been discontinued in recent years.
Following the incident, the National Institute of Anthropology and History announced the closure of the Teotihuacan archaeological zone until further notice as investigations continue.
