A gunman opened fire at Mexico’s Teotihuacán pyramids, killing a Canadian tourist weeks before the country co-hosts the World Cup

A Canadian woman was killed and several others wounded after a gunman opened fire at Mexico’s Teotihuacán pyramids on Monday afternoon. The attack occurred at one of the country’s most visited archaeological sites, located near Mexico City and drawing close to 2 million tourists annually.

As detailed by The Guardian, six people were injured by gunfire and seven more were hurt in the ensuing panic. The fatal victim was identified as a 32-year-old Canadian woman.

Among those wounded were another Canadian woman, a Colombian woman and her child, a Brazilian national, and two Americans. Seven additional individuals suffered injuries in the scramble for safety, including a Russian, another Colombian, another Brazilian, and four Americans, all of whom received treatment at the scene or at local hospitals.

This is the first such incident at a Mexican archaeological site in decades

Witness Laura Torres told La Jornada newspaper that she heard more than 20 shots coming from the Pyramid of the Moon, the second largest structure in the ancient complex. She described the gunfire as initially sporadic, then a rapid succession, before becoming sporadic again. Security secretary for Mexico state Cristobal Castaneda confirmed the gunman, whose nationality remains unknown, took his own life after opening fire. State authorities secured the scene, seizing a firearm, a knife, and unused ammunition, before evacuating tourists.

Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand called the attack “a horrific act of gun violence” in a post on X. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed “deep pain” over the shooting at the UNESCO World Heritage site, offering her “most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families” and calling for a thorough investigation. The British embassy in Mexico City urged UK citizens in the area to follow instructions from local authorities.

The incident arrives weeks before Mexico is set to co-host the FIFA World Cup in June, amid ongoing scrutiny of the country’s security preparations. Back in February, the killing of cartel figure “El Mencho” near Guadalajara triggered a wave of coordinated attacks across Jalisco and 19 other states, with dozens of stores, bank branches, and vehicles burned or looted. Authorities said that violence was quickly contained, though it drew considerable international attention. As reported by ESPN, Mexican authorities met with FIFA representatives on March 5 to review intelligence and operational protocols for the tournament.

Federal Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch stated that officials had “reviewed the intelligence, prevention, and operational deployment protocols” planned for the event. President Sheinbaum had previously guaranteed security for all visitors during the tournament, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his “full confidence” that Mexico would be able to deliver a safe co-hosting. Amid broader debates over public safety and government surveillance in the lead-up to major international events, the shooting has renewed questions about whether those assurances will hold.

Mexico, alongside the United States and Canada, is scheduled to host 13 World Cup matches across Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. The opening match, Mexico vs. South Africa, is set for June 11 at Azteca Stadium, which has a projected capacity of 87,000 for the tournament. Guadalajara and Monterrey will also host a six-team inter-confederation playoff featuring Jamaica, Iraq, DR Congo, Suriname, New Caledonia, and Bolivia. The country expects more than 5.5 million visitors for the event.

The Teotihuacán shooting marks the first reported case of armed violence at one of Mexico’s nearly 200 archaeological sites in decades. Mass untargeted shootings of this kind remain relatively rare in Mexico, making the incident all the more jarring ahead of the World Cup. A high-profile arrest in a separate major sporting context this week drew similar scrutiny over the timing of serious incidents near marquee events. The Mexican foreign ministry said it is in permanent contact with the Canadian embassy and other affected embassies to provide follow-up.