Canadian tourist killed when gunman opened fire at Teotihuacán
Fabiola Sánchez And Megan Janetsky
Mexico City: A gunman opened fire on the historic pyramids of Teotihuacán, killing a Canadian tourist and wounding six people at the archaeological site an hour north of Mexico’s capital, authorities said.
The shooter later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a statement released Monday (Mexico time).
The local government said four people were injured due to gunfire and two people were injured due to falls. The injured were taken to hospitals and treated. The local government said that among them were Colombian, Russian and Canadian tourists. The extent of his injuries was not immediately clear.
In videos and photos published by local news organizations, an armed man stands atop the pyramid as people duck for cover. Multiple gunshots can be heard in the videos.
A tour guide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid risking his job, said he was leading a group down one of the pyramids around 11:30 a.m. when the man started shooting. Several people stumbled and fell down the stairs in fear.
“When he saw us landing, he started shooting downwards,” the guide said, adding that the attacker appeared to be shooting first into the air and then into people’s legs.
He said between 20 and 30 gunshots were heard before security guards arrived.
Staff at the archaeological site had been performing security screenings before people entered the site, but had stopped doing so.
The guide showed a video he had taken of a woman limping, her back covered in blood, and another man’s arm being bandaged.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the attack would be investigated and that she was in contact with the Canadian Embassy.
“We are deeply saddened by what happened in Teotihuacán today. I express my sincerest solidarity with the affected individuals and their families,” he wrote.
Canada’s foreign minister, Anita Anand, told
The pyramids of Teotihuacán are a series of massive structures built by three different ancient civilizations on the outskirts of Mexico City. The site, one of Mexico’s top tourist attractions, attracted more than 1.8 million international visitors last year, according to government figures.
Security officers found guns, knives and ammunition after the conflict.
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