MEXICO CITY — A gunman opened fire on tourists at the ancient archaeological site of Teotihuacán on Monday, killing a Canadian woman and wounding six others before dying by suicide on the Pyramid of the Moon — one of the most visited landmarks in the Western Hemisphere.
Mexico’s Security Cabinet confirmed the attack in a statement posted to X, saying a man fired shots at the site, killing one Canadian national and injuring four others by gunfire.
Two additional visitors were hurt in falls as crowds fled the pyramids in panic.
Among the four who were shot, the State of Mexico Security Secretary Cristóbal Castañeda identified two Colombian nationals, one Canadian, and one Russian. All injured victims were transported to local hospitals and clinics and are receiving medical attention, authorities said.
Authorities seized a revolver, a bladed knife, and live cartridges inside a black plastic bag at the scene.
Castañeda said he would prefer not to speculate about the gunman’s identity or motive, and noted that his nationality had not yet been determined.
No name has been released. The investigation is ongoing.
What Happened
The attack began after midday in the northern part of the complex. The man, described as wearing a checkered shirt, was on the Pyramid of the Moon when he began shooting toward the Plaza of the Moon and the tourists moving through the area.
Videos circulated on social media showed visitors running in every direction as shots rang out. American tourist Tim Chung, visiting from Seattle with a tour group, told NBC News: “All of a sudden I see a guy fall off one of the viewing platforms and then I heard a shot and another person fall off and then I knew something bad was happening and heard screams.”
One tourist from Taxco, Guerrero, said in an interview that the attacker appeared to take several people hostage at one point, though that claim remains a witness account and not an official finding.
Atención: Tiroteo en las pirámides de Teotihuacán, en México. Se reporta una persona muerta. El atacante habría sido abatido por la guardia nacional. Vía @BluRadioCo pic.twitter.com/YxKV8DSx4V
— Ricardo Ospina (@ricarospina) April 20, 2026
Guardia Nacional personnel, the Army, state police, and municipal agents were all deployed, and the archaeological zone was evacuated and closed to visitors. El-balad Teotihuacán remains closed as of Monday evening.
The Victims
The Canadian woman killed has not been publicly identified. Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed the death in a post on X, saying Canadian consular officials were in touch with the family to provide assistance. “As a result of a horrific act of gun violence, a Canadian was killed and another wounded in Teotihuacán, Mexico,” she wrote. “My thoughts are with their family and loved ones.”
The conditions of the six injured victims had not been fully disclosed by the time of publication. Mexican authorities said all are receiving appropriate care.
The Perpetrator
The name of the perpetrator remains unknown, as does his motive. According to preliminary information from Mexico’s Security Cabinet, the man fired shots at the site before taking his own life. Castañeda said it appears the attacker acted alone, and investigators have not indicated any connection to organized crime or terrorism.
The fact that the attacker reached a commanding elevated position on the Pyramid of the Moon while carrying a firearm, a knife, and live ammunition raises immediate questions about security screening at the site’s entrances — questions Mexican authorities have not yet directly addressed.
Information has emerged that the suspect was wearing combat boots and a t-shirt with the inscription “Disconnect & Self-Destruct” beneath the outer-shirt. The phrase is known to be associated with the True Crime Community (TCC), an online subculture that glorifies massacres and mass shootings, also linked to the celebration of Dylan Klebold, one of the perpetrators of the Columbine shooting on April 20, 1999.
Monday’s Teotihuacán attack was also carried out on April 20.
How Does This Happen at Teotihuacán?
The 264-hectare visitor area, managed by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), is one of Mexico’s most recognized cultural landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1987.
The site receives around 1.6 million visitors a year.
Teotihuacán is structurally unlike a stadium or airport. It is an open archaeological landscape — vast, multi-entry, and designed for free movement across ancient plazas and up monumental staircases. Security screening has historically been minimal compared to enclosed venues, a practical reality of managing a heritage site where the experience depends on open access to the monuments themselves.
The episode, however, exposes a combination of risks: direct violence and mass-flight injury. In a place designed for visitation and observation, the crowd itself became exposed both to the shooter and to the danger of sudden evacuation, which helps explain why the final toll extended beyond the immediate gunshot wounds.
Investigations are now underway to determine how the suspect was able to bring weapons into the area undetected.
Sheinbaum Responds
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the attack publicly within hours, expressing condolences and ordering a full investigation. “What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply hurts us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the people affected and their families. We are in contact with the Canadian embassy,” she wrote on X, adding that she had instructed the Security Cabinet to thoroughly investigate and that personnel from the Interior Ministry and the Culture Ministry were heading to the site.
The shooting came as Mexico faces heightened scrutiny over public security ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, when millions of additional international visitors are expected to travel through the country.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico issued a security alert Monday, confirming it was aware of the incident and advising U.S. citizens in the vicinity to follow the directions of local authorities.
