A 23-year-old Mexican social media influencer, Valeria Marquez, was shot and killed while livestreaming on TikTok, authorities confirmed.
According to the Jalisco state prosecutor’s office, the attack occurred when a man entered her beauty salon in Guadalajara and opened fire. The motive is still unknown, but the incident is being investigated as a case of femicide, a crime in which women or girls are killed due to their gender.
Gender-based violence remains a major issue in Mexico, where the UN reports an average of 10 women or girls are murdered daily, often by partners or family members.
Just moments before the attack, Marquez was seen on her livestream sitting at a table in her beauty salon in the Zapopan suburb, holding a stuffed toy. She was shot seconds later. The stream only ended when someone picked up her phone and stopped the recording.
Local media reported that the shooter may have pretended to deliver a gift before opening fire. Police arrived at the scene around 6:30pm local time and confirmed her death. So far, no suspect has been identified.
Marquez had a combined following of nearly 200,000 on TikTok and Instagram. Her fans reacted with shock and grief over her sudden death.
Zapopan Mayor Juan José Frangie told media that there were no previous complaints or reports from Marquez regarding threats. “Femicide is the worst crime,” he said, according to AFP.
The investigation is ongoing, with forensic teams examining the evidence.
