Mexican authorities have handed over the body of a Canadian tourist who was fatally shot by a gunman at a popular pyramid in Mexico to her family. The woman’s family visited the attorney general’s office in Mexico state where her body was identified and returned to them. The victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, was the sole fatality in the shooting incident that took place on Monday.
While Mexican legislation protects the privacy of crime victims by not disclosing personal information, details of the injured tourists and their treatment facilities were disclosed by federal officials. Among the injured were tourists from various countries including the United States, Colombia, Brazil, and Russia, with the youngest being a six-year-old Colombian boy.
One of the injured Canadians, identified as 29-year-old Delicia Li de Yong, sustained a gunshot wound above her right shoulder blade. Global Affairs Canada confirmed that consular assistance is being provided to the deceased Canadian’s family. The Security Cabinet of Mexico has not yet released the identity of the Canadian victim.
Authorities revealed that the shooter, Julio César Jasso Ramirez, a Mexican national, had premeditated the attack at the Teotihuacán pyramids. The gunman, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was reported to have expressed disdain for tourists, played strange music, and fired randomly at visitors.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized the need for stricter protocols to prevent firearms from entering archaeological sites after the unprecedented incident at the Pyramid of the Moon. The Teotihuacán pyramids, a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Mexico City, attract millions of international visitors annually and are a significant tourist destination in Mexico.