Mexico said it will ramp up security at tourist sites after a lone gunman opened fire on visitors at the Teotihuacan pyramids, killing one Canadian tourist and injuring a dozen others, less than two months before the FIFA World Cup.

The attack, carried out Monday atop one of the pyramids at the UNESCO-listed site near Mexico City, has raised concerns about safety ahead of the tournament, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada. Teotihuacan, about an hour from the capital, is expected to draw large numbers of visitors, with authorities recently considering reviving a nighttime light show for World Cup tourists.

The incident prompted questions to President Claudia Sheinbaum about preparedness. Mexican security analyst David Saucedo said, “Events like this only further magnify the negative images that Mexico has on security issues, undermining the narrative that President Sheinbaum is trying to build that Mexico is a safe country.”

Sheinbaum acknowledged gaps at the site, noting the absence of security filters and describing the shooting as unprecedented. She said the attacker appeared influenced by external factors, including the 1999 Columbine massacre. “Our obligation as a government is to take the appropriate measures to ensure that a situation like this does not happen again. But clearly, we all know — Mexicans know — that this is something that had not previously taken place,” she said.

Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said authorities had been ordered to “immediately strengthen security” at archaeological and tourist sites. Measures include increased National Guard presence, tighter checks, and enhanced surveillance to “identify and prevent any threats.”

The government has emphasised falling homicide rates and recent actions against cartel leaders, but violence in Guadalajara earlier this year has already raised alarms. Officials have pledged a massive deployment of security forces, vehicles, aircraft and drones across host cities.

Despite the rarity of such public attacks in Mexico, the shooting has renewed scrutiny over whether authorities can ensure safety during the World Cup, with Saucedo warning that focusing resources on tourist zones may leave more vulnerable regions exposed.

Published on Apr 22, 2026