The authorities in Mexico are still piecing together how a typical morning at the ancient pyramid complex of Teotihuacán, one of the country's foremost tourist destinations, descended into terrifying gun violence on Monday.
The video footage is disturbing. A gunman stands atop the imposing Pyramid of the Moon and opens fire on the tourists around him, who cower for cover among the pre-Hispanic stone structures.
After the ordeal, a 32-year-old Canadian woman had been killed and the gunman had died from a self-inflicted gun wound. Tourists from several nations, including Russia, Colombia and Brazil, were treated for their injuries in local hospitals.
The fact that visitors from overseas were targeted poses a headache for the government just weeks before Mexico co-hosts the men's football World Cup.
The shooting came less than two months after masked gunmen from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel unleashed a wave of violence, sowing fear across the country following the killing of their leader 'El Mencho' by the security forces.
But this incident was very different.
Mexican authorities say the Teotihuacán gunman acted alone and there was no apparent link to Mexico's widespread cartel violence.
He has been identified as 27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramírez, a Mexican citizen who lived in Mexico City.
Among the gunman's belongings, officials found a handgun, a bag of cartridges and a tactical knife. However, the attorney-general added they also found literature and images related to acts of violence from a US shooting in 1999.
Witnesses reported that the attacker referred to Columbine, the site of a notorious US school shooting.
This incident is seen as part of a concerning trend towards imitation of mass shootings, reminiscent of issues faced in the US. Experts warn that such occurrences could signify a troubling transition in Mexican society.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has emphasized the government's commitment to ensuring safety as concerns mount ahead of the World Cup. While critics argue that the statistics do not reflect the reality of violence in the country, Sheinbaum’s administration continues to reassure visitors that Mexico welcomes them with open arms.
