A 23-year-old Mexican social media influencer, Valeria Marquez, was shot and killed while live streaming on TikTok from her beauty salon in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, in western Mexico.
Marquez, who was known for sharing beauty and lifestyle videos, had thousands of followers online. Some of her posts had gathered hundreds of thousands of views.
According to the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office, a man entered her salon on Tuesday evening and opened fire during the live video.
“The victim is someone with an active presence and influence on social media,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
“A man entered the premises and apparently fired a gun at her,” the statement added.
Media reports say the attacker came pretending to bring Marquez a gift before shooting her.
So far, investigators have not linked the killing to any criminal group. The area is known to be controlled by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most dangerous drug gangs, but no direct connection has been confirmed.
Jalisco’s state security coordinator, Roberto Alarcón, said there is no current evidence that organised crime was behind the attack.
Mayor of Zapopan, Juan Jose Frangie, also spoke on the killing: “It’s incredible that you’re making a video and then you’re murdered. A femicide is the worst thing,” he said.
He added that Marquez had not reported any threats or sought help from the authorities before the attack.
This tragic event adds to the growing problem of violence against women in Mexico. The United Nations says that about 10 women or girls are murdered every day in the country, with many cases involving gender-based or criminal violence.
Police are still investigating the motive and searching for the suspect.
