Two Dead, 13 Injured in Teotihuacan Pyramid Shooting; Attacker Found with Columbine Literature

Teotihuacan, Mexico State — A shooting at the Teotihuacan archaeological site on Monday left two people dead and 13 injured, with authorities saying the attacker was found carrying literature related to the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in the United States.

President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the casualties on Tuesday, identifying the deceased as a Canadian woman and the shooter, whose name remains unknown. Of the 13 injured, seven suffered gunshot wounds and required hospitalization; six have since been discharged.

The injured tourists come from Canada, Brazil, Russia, the United States, Colombia, and the Netherlands, officials reported.

National Guard members shot the attacker in the leg after he opened fire on tourists from atop the pyramid, but he then took his own life, authorities said during a national press conference on Tuesday.

“Our solidarity is with the family of the person who lost their life and with all those treated in hospitals who experienced this situation yesterday,” Sheinbaum said. “It is our duty to always report the information we have.”

She added, “We have never witnessed anything like this in Mexico; it is the first time it has happened. This person, according to all ministerial authorities, showed signs of psychological problems and was influenced by events that occurred abroad.”

Following the unprecedented incident, Sheinbaum ordered enhanced security at all archaeological sites nationwide, Security and Citizen Protection Secretary Omar García Harfuch announced. The measures include increased National Guard presence in coordination with local authorities, strengthened preventive controls, access checks, surveillance systems, and expanded physical patrols.

Mexico State Security Secretary Cristóbal Castañeda Camarillo detailed the timeline: authorities received a report of an armed person in San Juan Teotihuacan at 11:20 a.m. on Monday, alerting the National Guard and municipal police. National Guard personnel arrived at 11:30 a.m. and came under fire from the attacker.

“National Guard members repelled the attack and wounded him in a leg. Subsequently, the aggressor took his own life,” Castañeda Camarillo said. “The incident left seven gunshot victims among the injured who came from Canada, Brazil, Russia, the United States, Colombia, and the Netherlands. They were transferred to hospitals for treatment. Six have already been discharged.”

He assigned 300 state police officers to protect the area, which remains closed but will reopen on Wednesday.

Mexico State Attorney General José Luis Cervantes Martínez said two investigations are open: one by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office and another by the State Prosecutor’s Office.

Initial investigation findings revealed the attacker’s belongings included a National Electoral Institute credential, an analog cell phone, bus tickets, a tactical backpack, and literature related to the violent events at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. He carried a short firearm dating to 1968, .38 caliber cartridges, and a bladed weapon.

“The investigation suggests a psychopathic profile of the aggressor characterized by a tendency to copy situations that happened in other places, at other times, and by other people; this tendency can be known as copycat,” Cervantes Martínez said.

Authorities believe the shooter planned the attack and acted alone.

Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez said the Mexican government is in contact with victims and their families through the Foreign Ministry and consulates to provide necessary support. The Interior Ministry announced a support phone line for those involved in the incident: 55 1000 2000 ext. 57508.