Valeria Márquez, a 23-year-old TikTok influencer, was fatally shot on Tuesday evening while livestreaming from her beauty salon in Jalisco, Mexico. The attack unfolded in real time as Márquez, who had built a significant following on social media, interacted with viewers. According to local authorities, two men arrived at the premises on a motorbike, with one entering the salon under the pretence of delivering a gift. Moments later, Márquez unwrapped a pink stuffed piglet, referred to playfully during the stream, before being shot by the man who then fled the scene.
++ Conjoined twins separated after complex 15-hour surgery
The livestream, which has since been removed from TikTok, reportedly captured the influencer clutching her chest and collapsing moments after the attack. Witnesses noted that a woman present in the video ended the broadcast following the shooting. Emergency services arrived swiftly, but Márquez was pronounced dead at the scene. Police reported she remained seated in the salon chair, still holding the soft toy when they arrived.
The Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office, which described Márquez as having an active digital presence with approximately 200,000 followers, is currently investigating the killing as a potential femicide — a gender-based crime that remains a pressing issue in Mexico. Officials believe the assailants did not personally know the victim, and surveillance footage is being reviewed to identify the suspects. Earlier in the day, the same men are said to have visited the salon in an initial attempt to deliver the parcel.
++ Kim Jong-un calls for full war readiness amid North Korea-Russia alliance claims
Mexico continues to grapple with one of the world’s highest femicide rates, with the United Nations reporting over 50,000 women murdered between 2001 and 2024 — and fewer than five percent of those cases resulting in convictions. This incident occurred just days after mayoral candidate Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez was killed in Veracruz during a campaign event, also captured on livestream, underscoring the persistent threat of gender-based violence and political unrest in the country.
