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One Canadian tourist has been killed and six other people were wounded by gunfire after an armed man opened fire at one of Mexico’s most famous tourist destinations, the Teotihuacán pyramids near Mexico City.

The shooting – the latest violent incident to affect Mexico as it prepares to co-host the football World Cup in June – took place on Monday lunchtime and was captured in mobile phone videos.

“A person is opening fire on us, take care friends, send security,” a voice can be heard saying in an unverified video posted on social media.

The gunman, whose nationality was unknown, killed himself after opening fire, said Cristobal Castaneda, the security secretary for Mexico state, where the site is located.

One witness, Laura Torres, told the newspaper La Jornada she heard more than 20 shots coming from the Pyramid of the Moon, the second largest in the ancient complex of constructions. “First it was sporadic, then one shot after another, then sporadic again,” said Torres, who believed the alleged shooter – who authorities said took his own life – had used a handgun.

Mexican media reports said the fatal victim was a 32-year-old female from Canada.

Canada’s foreign minister, Anita Anand, called it “a horrific act of gun violence” in a post on X.

Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, voiced “deep pain” over the attack on the Unesco world heritage site, which follows a high-profile explosion of violence in February after the killing of a top narco boss known as “El Mencho” near the city of Guadalajara.

“I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families,” Sheinbaum said on social media, calling for a thorough investigation.

Six people were wounded by gunfire and treated at local hospitals, including a Canadian woman, a Colombian woman and child, a Brazilian and two Americans.

Seven more were injured in the scramble for safety and were treated at the scene, including a Russian, a Colombian, a Brazilian and four Americans, authorities said.

The midday shooting stunned tourists at one of Mexico’s most visited pre-Hispanic sites.

State authorities at the scene seized a firearm, knife and unused ammunition and evacuated tourists from the premises.

The British embassy in Mexico City urged UK citizens to follow instructions from local authorities if they were in the area where the shooting took place.

Mexico’s foreign ministry said it was in permanent contact with the Canadian embassy in Mexico “and other embassies of affected individuals to provide timely follow-up on these events”.

The shooting at the world-famous archaeological site made front-page headlines and caused widespread shock in Mexico, where authorities are gearing up to host 13 games in the World Cup, including its opening match. Concerns over Mexico’s security situation grew after a wave of coordinated cartel attacks followed the killing of El Mencho in February, although that violence was quickly contained.

The Teotihuacán complex is one of Mexico’s most visited destinations, drawing close to 2 million tourists each year.

Mexico’s nearly 200 archaeological sites are popular with tourists, and although accidents have been reported, this is the first reported case of armed violence in decades.

Mexico continues to struggle with frequent drug gang-related violence, but mass untargeted shootings are relatively rare, especially compared with the country’s northern neighbour, the United States.

Mexico expects more than 5.5 million visitors for the World Cup in June, when the popular football contest hosts national teams from around the world.