Disturbing footage shows moments before shooter opened fire at Teotihuacán pyramids leaving Canadian woman dead

Disturbing footage shows the moment a gunman opened fire at the Teotihuacán pyramids.

The attack unfolded on Monday (April 20) at the ancient archaeological site near Mexico City.

In a video circulating online, believed to have been filmed by a tourist, the suspect can be seen moving around with a mask and backpack before crouching down and reaching inside.

The clip then cuts to visitors descending the steps, moments before two gunshots ring out, sending people running for cover among the stone structures.

Police confirmed that a 32-year-old Canadian woman was killed in the attack, while at least six others were wounded by gunfire, including tourists from Colombia, Brazil, and the United States.

Seven more people were injured in the rush to escape, with victims from Russia, Colombia, Brazil, and the US treated at the scene, per BBC News.

Witness Laura Torres described the terrifying moment the shooting began, saying she heard more than 20 shots.

"First it was sporadic, then one shot after another, then sporadic again," she told La Jornada, adding she believed the attacker used a handgun, per The Guardian.

The gunman later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials identified him as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramírez, a Mexican citizen from Mexico City.

Lone Attacker With Disturbing Influences

Investigators say the attacker acted alone, with no links to cartel violence.

"The aggressor planned and carried out the attack on his own and there is absolutely no indication at this point that he had any external help or that any other individuals were involved in this incident," Attorney-General José Luis Cervantes Martínez said.

Police recovered a handgun, a knife, ammunition, and disturbing materials that included "literature, images, manuscripts apparently related to acts of violence which are known may have occurred in the United States in April 1999".

A witness also claimed the attacker referenced Columbine, the 1999 US school shooting, during the incident.

Prosecutors say the evidence points to "a psychopathic profile of the attacker, characterised by a tendency to imitate situations that occurred in other places, at other times, and involving other individuals - this tendency can be referred to as copycat behavior".

The attack has sent shockwaves through Mexico and beyond, particularly as the country prepares to co-host the football World Cup in June.

Canada’s foreign minister Anita Anand described the incident as "a horrific act of gun violence," while President Claudia Sheinbaum said on X: "What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families. We are in contact with the Canadian embassy."

Featured image credit: Anadolu / Getty