The authorities in Mexico are still piecing together how a typical morning at the ancient pyramid complex of Teotihuacán, one of the country's foremost tourist destinations, descended into terrifying gun violence on Monday.
The video footage is disturbing. A gunman stands atop the imposing Pyramid of the Moon and opens fire on the tourists around him, who cower for cover among the pre-Hispanic stone structures.
After the ordeal, a 32-year-old Canadian woman had been killed and the gunman had died from a self-inflicted gun wound. Tourists from several nations, including Russia, Colombia and Brazil, were treated for their injuries in local hospitals.
The fact that visitors from overseas were targeted poses a headache for the government just weeks before Mexico co-hosts the men's football World Cup.
The shooting came less than two months after masked gunmen from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel unleashed a wave of violence, sowing fear across the country following the killing of their leader El Mencho by the security forces.
But this incident was very different. Mexican authorities say the Teotihuacán gunman acted alone and there was no apparent link to Mexico's widespread cartel violence.
He has been identified as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramírez, a Mexican citizen who lived in Mexico City. 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, said Attorney-General José Luis Cervantes Martínez.
Among the gunman's belongings, officials found a handgun, a bag of cartridges and a tactical knife, as well as literature that references incidents of violence in the United States, causing concern about potential imitative behavior.
As Mexicans are no strangers to violence, particularly caused by drug cartels, this incident falls within a troubling new category: mass killings executed by lone attackers without links to organized crime. Attorney-General Cervantes noted a psychopathic profile of the attacker, suggesting a tendency to imitate violent events.
President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her sympathy with the victims, emphasizing ongoing efforts to ensure safety for the upcoming World Cup. The incident underscores growing fears among potential visitors as Mexico prepares to host numerous international guests amid security uncertainties.
