Mexican authorities said the gunman who attacked tourists at the Teotihuacán pyramids was influenced by violent acts in the United States, including the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, as investigators examined notes and other materials found with him.
The shooting happened Monday at the Teotihuacán archaeological site northeast of Mexico City, where the suspect opened fire from atop the Pyramid of the Moon and later died by suicide, authorities said. One Canadian woman was killed, and several other tourists were wounded, according to officials and news reports.
José Luis Cervantes Martínez, the attorney general of the State of Mexico, said investigators found handwritten materials, books, and other items tied to violent incidents in the United States in April 1999. He said the evidence suggests a "copycat" effect, with the suspect imitating attacks carried out elsewhere and at other times, according to the New York Times.
Authorities identified the gunman as Julián César Jasso Ramírez, 27. They said he carried a revolver, which he reloaded at least twice during the attack, along with a plastic bag containing 52 rounds of ammunition and a bladed weapon.
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The prosecutor said investigators are considering a psychological profile that points to a tendency to imitate violent acts. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also said at a news conference that the attack appeared to involve outside influences, though authorities have not released a full motive, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The attack took place on the same day as the Columbine massacre anniversary, which authorities said was one reason the case drew immediate attention. Officials did not say the gunman acted as part of a broader plot, and they have not described any connection to an organization or network.
Teotihuacán is one of Mexico's most visited archaeological sites and a major tourism draw near the capital. The shooting prompted a security response at the site and renewed concern about visitor safety at prominent public attractions in Mexico, as per ABC News.
