In a blood-chilling moment broadcast live to tens of thousands of followers, 23-year-old beauty and lifestyle influencer Valeria Marquez was gunned down in the middle of a TikTok livestream at her beauty salon in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara. The cold-blooded assassination sent shockwaves through Mexico’s already terror-stricken digital and feminist communities, reigniting fury over the country’s crisis of violence against women.
The Final Stream: “They’re Coming…”
The Jalisco state prosecutor’s office confirmed late Wednesday that Marquez was shot and killed Tuesday evening by a man who entered her business posing as a customer. At the time of the shooting, Marquez was live streaming to her fans on TikTok, where she had cultivated a substantial audience through tutorials, lifestyle tips, and relatable personal vlogs. Some of her videos have accumulated hundreds of thousands of views.
According to Reuters, the livestream took a horrifying turn when Marquez whispered, “They’re coming,” before a man’s voice offscreen asked, “Hey, Vale?” She responded, “Yes,” and then muted the live stream. Seconds later, gunshots were heard, and Valeria Marquez was dead.
A Beauty Influencer in a City of Violence
The state prosecutor’s office stated that Marquez had “an active presence and influence on social media.” But her fame offered no protection. Authorities have yet to confirm a motive behind the killing. While Zapopan is deep in territory controlled by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations in Mexico, no clear link has been established between the influencer’s murder and organized crime.
Jalisco state security coordinator Roberto Alarcón said Thursday that no current evidence ties the shooting to any criminal group. However, the brazenness and public nature of the killing point to a disturbing normalization of targeted violence in Mexico’s digital age.
Zapopan’s mayor, Juan José Frangie, told reporters that his office had no record of Marquez requesting help or reporting threats before her murder. “It’s incredible that you’re making a video and then you’re murdered,” Frangie said. “A femicide is the worst thing.”
Staged as a Gift: A Premeditated Killing
Local media reports suggest that the killer posed as a customer delivering a gift, exploiting the influencer’s trusting environment and lulling her into a false sense of security. Surveillance footage and eyewitness reports are under review.
Speaking at her regular Thursday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that Mexico’s security cabinet is working with state prosecutors to investigate the crime. “An investigation is underway to find those responsible and the motive behind this situation,” Sheinbaum stated. “Our solidarity goes out to her family.”
A Second Murder Hours Later: A Wave of Bloodshed
Terrifyingly, scarcely hours after Marquez was executed, Luis Armando Córdova Díaz, a former congressman who had connections to the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), was also murdered in Zapopan. Córdova Díaz was attacked within a café in the upscale Valle Real neighborhood, the Associated Press reported. Jalisco’s prosecutor’s office is probing both killings but has not yet indicated whether the two are connected.
Femicide Epidemic: The Blood Price of Being a Woman in Mexico
Marquez’s murder is not an isolated incident. According to United Nations data, 10 women or girls are murdered every day in Mexico. Since 2001, more than 50,000 women have been killed, yet only 2% of cases result in a criminal conviction. In this climate of impunity, gender-based violence has flourished, and influencers like Marquez, young, visible, and vocal, are now terrifyingly vulnerable.
Activists and citizens alike are expressing outrage at yet another femicide, one broadcast in real-time. On social media, the hashtag #JusticiaParaValeria began trending within hours, as fans and feminists alike demanded accountability in a nation where women are murdered with impunity, often live and online.
As Mexico mourns another young life stolen in public view, the question resounds: Who will be held accountable in a country where even viral fame cannot shield women from death?
