Mexico’s president said the gunman who opened fire atop the Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacán appeared to have been influenced by other violent shootings and showed signs of psychological problems, according to a Tuesday media conference.

Gunman’s Items Included References to Columbine Massacre

Julio César Jasso Ramírez. 27, a Mexican national, carried a handgun, dozens of cartridges, a knife, and literature referencing violent acts, officials reported. The shooter was later found to have items that referenced the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in the US, according to José Luis Cervantes Martínez, attorney general of the State of Mexico.

“Among his belongings, authorities also found … literature, images and documents allegedly related to acts of violence that … may have occurred in the United States in April 1999,” Cervantes Martínez said during the briefing.

A tourist who witnessed the shooting told Reuters news agency that visitors heard Jasso Ramirez refer to the Columbine shooting, which took place exactly 27 years prior.

Attack Was Not Spontaneous, Officials Say

During the media conference, Cervantes Martínez and other Mexican authorities confirmed that Jasso Ramírez had repeatedly visited the archaeological site, located about 50km (31 miles) from Mexico City. He arrived there on Monday just before noon local time.

“This act was not spontaneous,” Cervantes Martínez said. After climbing the ancient pyramid, the gunman began shooting from one of its platforms. Videos captured by tourists showed the shooter making threats as visitors fled for safety. Several shots were fired, and a 32-year-old Canadian tourist was killed in the incident.

A National Guard member and a municipal police officer scaled the pyramid to corner the shooter, Cervantes Martínez said. The gunman fired 14 times at victims and responding officers. A national guardsman shot the gunman in the leg during the attempt to immobilize him. Jasso Ramirez then took his own life after a standoff with police.

Site to Reopen with Enhanced Security

Thirteen people, aged between six and 61, were treated in hospital after being injured in the incident. Seven of them were wounded by gunshots, including two minors from Colombia and Brazil.

Teotihuacán, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was closed following the shooting. The site, which attracted about 1.8 million visitors last year, will reopen on Wednesday with reinforced security, President Sheinbaum announced. She added that security checkpoints would be installed at archaeological and tourist sites nationwide, including metal detectors at Teotihuacán.

Sheinbaum also addressed concerns about safety during the upcoming World Cup football matches, which begin on 11 June in Mexico City. The president said she met with FIFA organizers to discuss logistics and assured the public that safety would be guaranteed during the event. She noted that 16 million foreign visitors arrived in Mexico between January and February, reinforcing her claim that it is safe to be in the country.