Gunman who fired on tourists at Mexican pyramid carried materials
related to 1999 Columbine massacre
[April 22, 2026]
By MARÍA VERZA
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The gunman who opened fire on tourists at Mexico’s
iconic Teotihuacan pyramids carried materials that were apparently
related to the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, authorities said
Tuesday, a day after the attack 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 was the
27th anniversary of the massacre in Colorado.
Among the gunman's belongings was a photo modified by artificial
intelligence showing him alongside the Columbine attackers, according to
a state official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of
anonymity because the official was not authorized to address the media.
Seven people were wounded by gunshots at the archaeological site north
of the Mexican 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.
Attack came before World Cup tournament
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.
While such attacks are uncommon in Latin America, they are not unheard
of. Earlier this month, Argentine authorities linked a teenager to the
“true crime community” after the teen killed one student and wounded
eight others at a school in the central province of Santa Fe. The
community is an online subculture that emerged from forums established
after the Columbine massacre to discuss and, in some cases, glorify such
violence.
Taken to hospitals after the Mexico attack 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.
Shooter scouted tourist site ahead of attack
Authorities identified the attacker as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso
Ramírez, a native of Guerrero, Mexico, who, they said, arrived in
Teotihuacan a day earlier in an Uber and stayed in a hotel.
Then on Monday shortly before noon, while atop the Pyramid of the Moon,
he began firing at tourists with an old revolver while holding a plastic
bag containing 52 .38-caliber cartridges in his other hand, said José
Luis Cervantes Martínez, the attorney general of the state of Mexico,
which includes Teotihuacan.
From the summit of the pyramid, the attacker opened fire on tourists and
targeted approaching security forces. Some people threw themselves to
the ground and lay motionless to avoid detection. Others fled down the
structure as gunshots echoed, Cervantes Martínez said.
[to top of second column]
|
Handicraft vendors and tourists stand outside the Teotihuacan
pyramids, which remained closed a day after a gunman opened fire on
tourists at the archaeological site on the outskirts of Mexico City,
Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
National Guard members eventually scaled the pyramid and wounded the
attacker in the leg. Witnesses said the gunman shot and killed
himself once he felt cornered, according to Cervantes Martínez.
The assailant carried a tactical-style backpack containing an analog
cellphone and bus tickets, Cervantes Martínez said.
The attorney general 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,’” he
added.
Greg Magadini, of Boise, Idaho, was with a tour group on top of the
pyramid when he heard a loud crack followed by screaming. The gunman
was about 40 feet (12 meters) away on the same platform with roughly
60 tourists, he said.
Magadini jumped down a ledge and scrambled for cover while two of
his friends stayed on the platform above trying to hide.
Witnesses said everyone was a target
Shots seemed to ring out every five seconds, Magadini said, as he
and the others jumped down more ledges to reach the ground. Then
they ran through a field behind the pyramid, carrying one of his
friends who badly injured her ankle on one of the jumps.
Magadini, who came away with scrapes and cuts, said he did not see
the shooter, but his friends said the gunman seemed to fire randomly
in all directions. “Everyone was a target,” he said.
Later at the hospital, they talked with other tourists, who said the
shooter at one point played strange music and taunted them, saying
he hated tourists, Magadini said.
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 popular tourist destinations, the site drew more than
1.8 million international visitors last year, according to
government figures.
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.
___
Associated Press writers Megan Janetsky and and Fabiola Sánchez in
Mexico City and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this
report.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
