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Mexico City: A Canadian tourist was killed and 6 other people were injured on Monday after a man opened fire at the historic Teotihuacan pyramids, located north of Mexico City. The Mexican authorities confirmed the incident, saying that the gunman later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

According to reports, the attack occurred in broad daylight at one of Mexico’s most visited archaeological sites, leaving terrified visitors running in chaos for cover on the ancient stone steps. The local police officials said that at least 4 people sustained gunshot injuries while 2 others were hurt in falls as crowds tried to flee the scene.  

The officials confirmed that all of the victims were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. The local government confirmed that those injured include Colombian, Russian and Canadian tourists, although the full extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.  

Panic Grips The Pyramid Amidst Gunshots

Video and photographs published by Mexican news outlets show a man standing with a firearm on top of one of the pyramids while visitors duck and run. The footage captured multiple loud gunshots, with the visitors shouting and running in chaos in a bid to escape the danger. 

A tour guide, who asked not to be named to protect his job, said he was leading a group down the pyramid at around 11.30 am when the shooting started. “When he saw that we were descending, he began to shoot downward,” the guide recounted. He recounted how the attacker appeared to fire alternately into the air and towards people’s legs, prompting chaos on the narrow steps.  

The guide estimated that he heard between 20 and 30 shots before security personnel arrived. In the confusion, several people stumbled and fell, leaving them injured. He later shared a video showing a woman limping with blood on her back and a man having his arm bandaged. The staff at the site once carried out security scans on visitors entering the area, but that practice has since been discontinued, he noted.  

The security officials recovered a gun, a knife and ammunition at the spot following the incident.  

After the deadly shooting, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that the shooting would be fully investigated and that she was in contact with the Canadian Embassy. In a post on social media, she said, “What happened today in Teotihuacan deeply pains us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families.”  

Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand also addressed the attack on X, writing “as a result of a horrific act of gun violence, a Canadian was killed and another wounded in Teotihuacan”, expressing her grief with the grieving family. 

The Teotihuacan pyramids, built by three different ancient civilisations, lie on the outskirts of Mexico City and remain one of the country’s leading tourist attractions. Further details regarding the horrific shooting at the pyramids are awaited.