What happened at Teotihuacán on Monday resists the usual tourist headline. By midday, one of Mexico’s most visited archaeological sites had turned into a crime scene.

So far, this is what we know: A gunman opened fire near the Pyramid of the Moon on Monday morning. He killed a Canadian woman, injuring at least 13 other people, and later died by suicide, according to Mexican authorities. Authorities identified the attacker as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramírez and said he acted alone.

What remains less settled are the finer details: exactly how many people were struck by gunfire rather than injured in the chaos that followed, how the attacker moved through the site in the minutes before his death, and what, if anything, can yet be said publicly about motive beyond the disturbing material investigators say they found in his backpack.

What happened at Teotihuacan on Monday morning

According to AP, the shooting took place shortly after 11:30 a.m. At the time, dozens of tourists were at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon. A tour guide who spoke to the outlet on condition of anonymity said the gunman fired upward as visitors tried to descend. “Some people, because they were scared, threw themselves face down on the ground. And the rest of us started to go down,” the guide said. Reuters, citing an anonymous witness, similarly reported that the shooter remained at the top of the mezzanine and appeared to fire most shots into the air while shouting. That witness said bystanders with medical training tried to slow bleeding with water bottles and clean cloths until paramedics arrived.

Authorities have since said the assailant acted alone. AP reported that officials found a gun, a knife, and ammunition at the scene. In its later follow-up, AP added that state authorities said the attacker carried a tactical-style backpack containing an analog cellphone and bus tickets. Reuters reported that prosecutors identified him as a Mexican national, a native of Guerrero.

Teotihuacan is now the site of a still-moving investigation

AP reported that José Luis Cervantes Martínez, the attorney general of the State of Mexico, said authorities found “literature, images and manuscripts” related to “violent incidents known to have occurred in the United States in April 1999,” an apparent reference to Columbine. Mexican officials have not released fuller details than that.

Authorities say the gunman acted alone. They say they recovered weapons and ammunition. They say the site became the setting for a burst of violence that injured foreign nationals from several countries. Beyond that, the investigation is still catching up to the event.

The numbers from Teotihuacan are becoming clearer, even if some details still vary

The death toll, at this point, is fixed at one victim besides the assailant: a Canadian woman. The injury count stands at least 13. AP reported that seven people suffered gunshot wounds, while other injuries appear to have occurred as people fell or scrambled for cover when the shooting began. Reuters said it was not immediately clear how many people had been shot, though one witness told the outlet that a young boy was shot in the leg.

The nationality breakdown has also come into focus, though outlets have relayed slightly different versions of the official lists at different points. AP’s later report said those taken to hospitals included six Americans, three Colombians, one Russian, one Brazilian, one Dutch national, and one Canadian. Its earlier report described the group as six Americans, three Colombians, one Russian, two Brazilians, and one Canadian. AP also reported that the youngest injured person was 6 and the oldest was 61.

By Tuesday morning, Mexico’s security cabinet said the injured patients had spent the night in stable condition at a clinic.

This is also becoming a wider question about security, tourism, and the image Mexico projects

Teotihuacán is not an ordinary scenario for a story like this. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of Mexico’s most important tourist destinations, with more than 1.8 million international visitors last year. Reuters likewise noted that the site is one of the country’s most popular attractions and that violence at tourist landmarks is rare, even in a country where shooting incidents linked to cartel activity are tragically common.

Some reports say the attack is likely to intensify scrutiny of security at major tourist and cultural sites as Mexico prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the United States and Canada. AP reported that the pyramids were closed on Tuesday.

President Claudia Sheinbaum responded publicly on Monday. “What happened today in Teotihuacan pains us deeply. I express my deepest sympathy to those affected and their families,” she said.

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