An armed man standing atop one of the historic Teotihuacan pyramids opened fire on tourists Monday, leaving one Canadian tourist dead and six people injured at the archaeological site an hour north of Mexico‘s capital, authorities said.

The shooter later died by suicide, according to a statement from the local government.

The local government said four people were wounded by gunshots and two were injured from falls. The victims were taken to hospitals for treatment.

 

They include Colombian, Russian and Canadian tourists, the local government said.

The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.

Video and photos published by local news organisations show a man standing with a gun on top of a pyramid while people duck for cover. A number of gunshots ring out in the videos.

A tour guide, who spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to put his job at risk, said he was leading a group down one of the pyramids around 11.30am when the man began to shoot and a number of people stumbled in fear and fell down the stairs.

“When he saw that we were descending he began to shoot downward,” the guide said, adding that the shooter seemed to fire alternatively into the air and then at people’s legs.

He said he heard between 20 and 30 gunshots ring out before security officials arrived.

In past years, staff members at the archaeological site carried out security scans before people entered the area but have since stopped doing this.

A Canadian woman has died after a shooting at the Teotihuacan Pyramids in Mexico.A Canadian woman has died after a shooting at the Teotihuacan Pyramids in Mexico. Credit: Eduardo Verdugo/AP Local police say the gunman died by suicide.Local police say the gunman died by suicide. Credit: Eduardo Verdugo/AP

The guide’s video from the incident shows a woman limping with her back covered in blood and another man’s arm being bandaged.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the shooting would be investigated and that she was in touch with the Canadian Embassy.

“What happened today in Teotihuacan deeply pains us,” she wrote.

“I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families.”

Anita Anand, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, said on X that as a “result of a horrific act of gun violence, a Canadian was killed and another wounded in Teotihuacan” and that her “thoughts are with their family and loved ones”.

The Teotihuacan pyramids are a series of massive structures on the outskirts of Mexico City built by three different ancient civilizations.

As one of Mexico’s most important touristic destinations, the site drew more than 1.8 million international visitors last year, according to government figures.

Security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition after the shooting.