Mexico Pyramid Shooter Had Columbine-Related Material

The gunman who opened fire on tourists at Mexico's iconic Teotihuacan pyramids carried materials that were apparently related to the deadly 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, authorities said Tuesday, a day after the attack that killed a Canadian woman and left at least 13 people injured. Although officials did not mention Columbine by name, they referred to "literature, images, and manuscripts" that belonged to the gunman and referenced attacks in the United States in April 1999, the AP reports. Monday marked the 27th anniversary of the massacre in Colorado.

Seven people were wounded by gunshots at the archaeological site north of the capital, the local government said. The nature of the other injuries was not disclosed, but some people fell when the shooting started, including some who were climbing on the pyramids. The assailant, who acted alone, shot and killed himself, authorities said, and security officials found a gun, a knife, and ammunition at the scene.

• The attack happened less than two months before Mexico co-hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. Mexico's security secretary, Omar García Harfuch, said major tourist destinations would see a heightened presence of both ground forces and digital "cyber patrols" to prevent threats.
• "Yesterday's attack highlights the urgent need to strengthen our security protocols," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said. She also noted the importance of analyzing "external influences" that may provoke such violence within the country.

• Taken to hospitals were six people from the US, three from Colombia, one from Russia, one from Brazil, one from the Netherlands, and one from Canada, the local government said. The youngest person who was hurt was 6; the oldest was 61, Mexican authorities said. In an update Tuesday morning, Mexico's security cabinet said the injured patients were being treated at a clinic after spending the night in stable condition.
• Authorities identified the attacker as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramírez, a native of Guerrero, Mexico, who they said had carefully scouted the pyramids before opening fire.
• The assailant carried a tactical-style backpack containing an analog cellphone and bus tickets, said José Luis Cervantes Martínez, the attorney general of the state of Mexico, which includes Teotihuacan. Investigators built "a psychopathic profile" of the suspect that was "characterized by a tendency to copy situations that occurred in other places, at other times and involving other figures," the prosecutor added.
• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that he appreciates Sheinbaum's "personal attention to the matter," the CBC reports. "Our hearts go out to family and friends of the individual who was tragically killed," Carney said. "It's a sad day."