Horror at the tourist sites: a woman was murdered, hundreds were stranded

A wave of violence at two of the world’s most popular tourist destinations yesterday left a Canadian tourist dead and hundreds of international visitors in a state of anxiety, while raising serious questions about security arrangements at historic sites, just weeks before the 2026 World Cup kicks off.

The first and deadliest incident occurred Monday morning at the ancient archaeological site of Teotihuacan, located about 50 kilometers north of the capital, Mexico City. According to the authorities’ reports, a 27-year-old gunman named Julio Cesar Hasso Ramirez climbed the “Pyramid of the Moon”, which is 45 meters high, and opened fire indiscriminately at the crowd of visitors from the upper platform of the structure.

A 32-year-old Canadian woman was killed in the shooting and 13 other people were injured, including citizens from the United States, Colombia, Brazil and Russia. Testimonies from those present at the site and documents circulated on social media described moments of horror, as tourists panicked and took cover behind the volcanic stone steps while the gunman fired between 20 and 30 bullets. The event ended when the attacker ended his life on the site.

The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, expressed “deep pain” over the tragedy and confirmed that federal forces and the National Guard had been deployed in the area. The motive is actually still under investigation, although local media noted the chilling timing: the incident occurred on the anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre in the US in 1999, and the shooter allegedly wore a tactical-style shirt similar to that of the attackers in that event.

The attack casts a heavy shadow on Mexico’s preparations for hosting the World Cup, which is expected to open this June. Despite the government’s plans to deploy around 100,000 security personnel ahead of the tournament, tourists staying in Tautihuacan reported a complete lack of security checks at the gates on the morning of the shooting.

While the events in Mexico were still in progress, another drama unfolded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. More than 200 tourists, the vast majority of them foreigners, remained trapped for over two hours on the top of the famous hill “Moro dois Irmaus” (Hill of the Two Brothers). The group climbed to the top to view the city’s coastline, when a fierce gun battle broke out in the Vidigal favela located at the foot of the hill.

The exchange of fire began during a police operation against the “Commando Vermelio” (Red Command), one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Brazil. As the police entered the neighborhood, drug dealers opened heavy fire, effectively blocking the travelers’ only descent route. The visitors had to remain on the summit, at a height of 533 meters overlooking the beaches of Ipanema and Balon, until the police managed to secure the area and allowed them to descend safely.

Although the incident in Rio ended with three arrests and no physical harm to the tourists, it highlights the inherent risk of traveling in cities where tourism and organized crime exist in close proximity. Renan Monteiro, a local tour operator, pointed out that such high-profile events threaten to harm the recovery of the tourism industry in the city, after 2025, which was a record year in the number of international visitors.