Influencer Valeria Marquez Gunned Down On Live Feed; Was An Accomplice On Camera?

MEXICO CITY  — A 23-year-old social media influencer was shot and killed while livestreaming on TikTok at a beauty salon in the central Mexican state of Jalisco, authorities confirmed Wednesday, marking another grim instance of public violence in a country gripped by cartel-related unrest.

Valeria Márquez, a beauty and lifestyle influencer, was broadcasting live from a salon in Zapopan, on the outskirts of Guadalajara, when she was fatally shot. Authorities say she appeared to be speaking off-camera to a delivery person on Tuesday when she was struck in the chest and head. She died at the scene.

The killing has sent shockwaves through Mexico, where violent clashes between rival drug cartels continue to destabilize many regions. Zapopan is known to be within the sphere of influence of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

State prosecutors are investigating the incident as a possible femicide, a gender-based crime in which women are targeted for their sex—an issue that remains pervasive in Mexico and much of Latin America.

Just hours after Márquez’s killing, a second high-profile murder occurred nearby: Luis Armando Córdova Díaz, a former congressman affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), was shot dead in a local café.

Authorities have not confirmed any connection between the two killings.

Márquez’s death has sparked an outpouring of grief online. Her social media pages have been inundated with tributes and expressions of shock from fans and fellow influencers.

The investigation remains ongoing.