The Japan Times - Canadian tourist killed, 13 injured in Mexico pyramid shooting

The gunman, whose nationality was unknown, killed himself after opening fire at the popular tourist destination in central Mexico, home to pre-Aztecan pyramids, said Cristobal Castaneda, the security secretary for Mexico state, where the site is located.

Six people were wounded by gunfire and were treated at local hospitals, including a Canadian woman, a Colombian woman and child, a Brazilian and two Americans.

Seven more were injured in the scramble for safety and were treated at the scene, including a Russian, a Colombian, a Brazilian and four Americans, authorities said.

The midday shooting stunned tourists to one of Mexico's most visited pre-Hispanic sites, less than two months before the 2026 World Cup kicks off with games in Mexico, the United States and Canada.

AFPTV footage showed a body wrapped in a white sheet being walked down the steps of the pyramid.

State authorities at the scene seized a firearm, knife, and unused ammunition and evacuated tourists from the premises.

More than 2,000 years old, the pyramid city near Mexico City attracted over 1.8 million visitors in 2025, tourism officials said.

Canadian foreign minister Anita Anand called it "a horrific act of gun violence," in an X post.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called for a thorough investigation, and said she'd sent personnel to the site to provide assistance.

"What happened today in Teotihuacan deeply pains us," Sheinbaum posted on X.

- 'Send security' -

Located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the capital Mexico City, Teotihuacan draws domestic and foreign tourists to see its pyramids and its Avenue of the Dead.

The shooting occurred on the Pyramid of the Moon, a 45-meter high monument visitors are allowed to climb using steep steps carved of volcanic rock.

Federal security officials said police and the national guard were dispatched to the area following the attack.

Videos on social media showed the gunman firing periodic shots from a pistol about halfway up the Pyramid of the Moon while some tourists took cover behind stairs below and others fled.

"A person is opening fire on us, take care friends, send security," a voice from one video, which AFP has not verified, can be heard saying.

Other videos show authorities examining the pyramid in a complex cordoned off with crime-scene tape.

Designated as a world heritage site of "outstanding universal value" by the United Nations, the monuments at Teotihuacan were built in the pre-Hispanic Classic period -- a golden age of Mesoamerican history -- between the first and seventh centuries.

Mexico's nearly 200 archaeological sites are popular with tourists, and although accidents have been reported, this is the first reported case of armed violence in decades.

While Mexico continues to struggle with frequent drug gang-related violence, mass untargeted shootings are relatively rare, especially compared to the country's northern neighbor, the United States.

Mexico expects over 5.5 million visitors for the World Cup in June, when the popular football contest hosts national teams from around the world.

American tourist Anna Durmont, a 37-year-old art historian, told AFP she was walking towards the pyramid when she was startled by the sight of emergency vehicles and police.

"It actually felt extremely calm," Durmont said, explaining she hadn't heard gunfire.

"It was very measured. The park is full of souvenir sellers and they hadn't left. It wasn't clear to us until we got closer that there was a serious emergency," she said.

M.Ito--JT