Gunman kills Canadian, wounds other tourists at Mexico’s Teotihuacan pyramids

Authored by cnn.com and submitted by cnn

A shooting at Mexico’s Teotihuacán pyramids has left at least one person dead and several people injured, Mexico’s security cabinet said Monday.

According to preliminary information, a man fired shots at the popular archaeological site, killing a Canadian woman before taking his own life, the cabinet said on X.

Authorities say they seized a firearm, a bladed weapon and live cartridges at the site.

At least 13 people were injured during the attack, with eight still hospitalized late Monday, the Secretary of Government said in a statement. Earlier Monday, the State of Mexico said four people had gunshot wounds and two others were injured falling.

Among those taken to hospitals were six Americans, three Colombians, one Russian, two Brazilians and one Canadian, the Associated Press reported, citing the local government.

Canada’s Foreign Ministry later confirmed that one of its citizens was killed and another was wounded. In a statement, it expressed condolences to the victims’ families and thanked the Mexican government for its response.

CNN has reached out to the American, Colombian and Russian embassies for comment.

A drone view of visitors at the archaeological site of Teotihuacan as they gather to welcome the spring equinox, in Teotihuacan, Mexico, March 21. Alberto Fajardo/Reuters/File

The shooting happened as Mexico faces scrutiny over public security during preparations to welcome millions of visitors for the World Cup this summer.

Videos on social media show people fleeing the area after gunfire was heard around Teotihuacán’s Pyramid of the Moon.

Teotihuacán is a major archaeological site and tourist destination located about 30 miles northeast of Mexico City. The vast archaeological zone, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is lined with multiple monuments including two towering pyramids.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said authorities from federal, state and local agencies are responding to the shooting rampage.

“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 said.

Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said it is also in contact with other embassies and is working to provide necessary support to the injured foreign nationals.

State of Mexico Governor Delfina Gómez also offered support, sending her “solidarity to the families of the people who were affected by what happened in Teotihuacán.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

welmoe on April 20th, 2026 at 22:10 UTC »

Absolutely terrible. I was just there last month and can’t imagine a place like that have a shooting. It’s just tourists walking around.

theblackdoncheadle on April 20th, 2026 at 19:57 UTC »

I was there today. I descended from the top of the pyramid probably about 5 minutes before this all started. Was standing at the bottom of the stairs when the shots went off

Heard a pop go off, and then people rushing down the pyramid.

The steps are INCREDIBLY steep. I can’t even imagine needing to sprint down them.

Sprinting away from the danger it was just insane to see people waiting and filming. People getting fucking ice cream like nothing is happening. There were a good amount of people stuck at the top. He wasnt up there like executing people from what I could tell. It almost seemed like he was shooting around them. Somehow they are saying only one tourist dead right now in addition to the gunman. The situation could have been far worse. So many could have been helplessly killed.

So unfortunate because it just adds to the stereotype of the country. Up until that point it was a great day

Not cartel related. Just a piece of shit acting on his own.

Edit: here is a photo I took today. This is for people who think I’m on here lying ??

pyramid pic

Edit 2: photo showing how steep the stairs are https://imgur.com/a/Ir1z19q

cnn on April 20th, 2026 at 19:51 UTC »

A shooting at Mexico’s Teotihuacán pyramids has left at least one person dead and several people injured, Mexico’s security cabinet said Monday.

A man fired shots at the popular archaeological site, killing a Canadian woman, before taking his own life, the cabinet said on X. An unspecified number of people were wounded and are receiving medical attention.

CNN has reached out to the Canadian Foreign Ministry for comment.

Authorities say they have seized a firearm, a bladed weapon and live cartridges at the site.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says authorities from federal, state and local agencies are responding to the matter.

“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 said.

This is a developing story.