Shooting at Teotihuacán Pyramid Causes Death and Injuries; Witnesses Describe Escape and Medical Response
Introduction
On Monday, a gunman opened fire at the Pyramid of the Moon in the Teotihuacán archaeological complex north of Mexico City, resulting in the death of a Canadian tourist and injuries to multiple others. The attacker, identified as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramírez, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Witness accounts describe the evacuation of visitors and medical help provided by off-duty first responders.
Main Body
The incident occurred at the UNESCO World Heritage site during a period of high tourist activity. According to reports from the BBC, a 32-year-old Canadian woman was killed and 13 other people were injured. A separate account from KHOU News indicated that seven people were wounded and that the gunman briefly took hostages before military personnel arrived. The difference in casualty numbers reflects the different sources; both are based on the provided texts. Dr. Giovanna Guidicini, an architecture historian from the Glasgow School of Art, was on top of the pyramid when the shooting started. She reported hearing loud pops that she first thought were entertainment, followed by screams. The gunman, about 20 feet away, fired toward the queue of visitors waiting to go down. With the only exit blocked, Guidicini and her colleague lay flat on the ground before joining other tourists in scrambling down the pyramid’s steep ledges—each drop about 15 feet—to avoid the attacker’s line of sight. After reaching the ground, the group crossed a barbed-wire fence with help from local residents, who drove them to a nearby restaurant. Guidicini later saw online footage in which the gunman made threats in Spanish, mentioning sacrifices and saying that victims would not see Europe again. A separate account from a Houston couple, firefighter Captain Andrew Roseborrough and pediatric emergency medicine physician Dr. Jyothi Lagisetty, describes their response to the attack. Roseborrough was descending the pyramid when he heard gunfire; he reunited with his wife at the base, and they took cover behind a stone wall. Upon hearing a call for a doctor, they found a young boy, estimated to be between five and seven years old, who had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his lower body. Dr. Lagisetty provided immediate treatment, and the couple then helped the boy’s injured mother. Both victims were taken to a hospital and were expected to survive. Marty Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, praised the couple’s actions as typical of off-duty first responders. The shooting occurred less than two months after masked gunmen from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel carried out a series of violent acts across Mexico following the killing of their leader by security forces. However, Mexican authorities stated that the Teotihuacán incident was not related to cartel violence, claiming that the gunman acted alone. Local reports described the event as a “headache” for the government, coming weeks before Mexico is scheduled to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Injured tourists included nationals from Russia, Colombia, and Brazil.
Conclusion
The attack at Teotihuacán has left survivors dealing with trauma, as shown by Guidicini’s description of strong startle responses after returning to Glasgow. The incident highlights ongoing security challenges at major tourist sites in Mexico, even though authorities say it was not connected to organized crime. The medical help from the Houston couple demonstrates the role of civilian first responders in crisis situations.