Mexican influencer shot dead during TikTok livestream in suspected femicide case

A Mexican beauty influencer has been shot dead while livestreaming on TikTok in an incident now being investigated as a suspected femicide, authorities say.

Valeria Marquez, 23, was killed on Tuesday while working at a beauty salon in the city of Zapopan, Jalisco.

According to a statement from the Jalisco state prosecutor, a man entered the premises and fatally shot her.

The case is being investigated under femicide protocols – a legal term in Mexico for the killing of women for gender-based reasons, which can include degrading violence or abuse, a relationship with the perpetrator, or exposure of the victim’s body in public.

Moments before the attack, Ms Marquez was seen clutching a stuffed toy on her TikTok livestream and said: “They’re coming.” A voice in the background asked, “Hey, Vale?” To which she replied, “Yes,” before muting the audio.

Shots were then heard, and a person appeared to pick up her phone. Their faces were briefly visible before the livestream ended.

Ms Marquez, who has close to 200,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram, had told viewers earlier in the stream that someone had turned up at the salon with an “expensive gift” when she wasn’t there. She said she did not plan to wait for the person to return.

No arrests have been made, and the prosecutor’s office has not named a suspect.

Mexico continues to struggle with high levels of gender-based violence.

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the country had one of the highest rates of femicide in the region in 2023, at 1.3 such deaths per 100,000 women, tied with Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia.

Jalisco ranks sixth among Mexico’s 32 federal entities, including Mexico City, for homicides, with 906 recorded since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October 2024, according to consultancy TResearch.