Authorities believe the man who fired on visitors at a famous pyramid complex in Mexico may have drawn inspiration from previous mass shootings.
The attack happened on Monday, April 20 at the Teotihuacán pyramids, a major tourist destination north of Mexico City. A Canadian woman was killed and at least 13 other visitors were hurt, officials said.
Local authorities stated that seven people suffered gunshot wounds. Details about the remaining injuries have not been released, though some were reportedly injured as people tried to flee and fell amid the chaos.
Investigators say the shooter died at the scene after taking his own life following a confrontation with security personnel.
While officials continue working to determine a motive, authorities said Tuesday that the gunman had items that appeared to reference the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado.
Although officials did not name Columbine directly, they said they recovered books and handwritten notes linked to the suspect that referenced attacks in the U.S. in April 1999. Monday marked the 27th anniversary of the massacre.
Among the materials was an AI-altered image that showed the suspect alongside the Columbine shooters, according to a state official who spoke anonymously to The Associated Press.
The gunman was identified as Julio César Jasso Ramírez, a 27-year-old from Guerrero. Authorities said he arrived in Teotihuacán by taxi the day before the shooting and spent the night in a hotel.
According to José Luis Cervantes Martínez, the attorney general for the state of Mexico, the shooting began while the suspect was on the Pyramid of the Moon, where he started firing at tourists.
Cervantes Martínez said security forces moved in, at which point the gunman fired at them as well. Officials say he then turned the weapon on himself when he realized he was trapped.
Teotihuacán was once among the largest cities in the ancient Americas before declining in the 6th century. Construction of the Pyramid of the Moon began around 100 CE, and it served as a central ceremonial monument.
Archaeological research has also pointed to ritual sacrifice at the site. Excavations at the Pyramid of the Moon and nearby complexes have uncovered human remains believed to be sacrificial victims, along with offerings interred with the bodies.
Footage said to have been taken by one of the victims reportedly captures the gunman issuing threats to those close by, saying: “You who’ve come from f****** Europe aren’t going back. If you move, I’ll sacrifice you. See? I keep my word,” CBS Austin reports.
The attorney general added that the suspect had a tactical-style backpack containing an analog cellphone and bus tickets. He also reportedly carried ‘literature, images and manuscripts’ tied to ‘violent incidents known to have occurred in the United States in April 1999’, AP reports.