TikTok Influencer Shot and Killed on Camera During Live Stream
A gunman shot and killed a popular Mexican TikTok influencer during a live stream on Tuesday, according to reports.
Valeria Marquez, 23, was murdered on camera at her Blossom the Beauty Lounge salon in Jalisco, Mexico, said El Imparcial. A man on a motorbike who claimed to be bringing Marquez a gift pulled up outside the shop before opening fire.
The fashion and beauty expert was shot in the chest and head, with horrified followers watching the entire time. The gunman then fled the area and has yet to be apprehended.
Marquez, who boasts nearly 200,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office announced an investigation is underway. As of now, a motive for the shocking crime has not been determined.
"The investigation procedures have already begun in accordance with the femicide protocol, with the aim of clarifying the death of a 23-year-old influencer, recorded today in Zapopan," the office said on X/Twitter.
Mexican blogger Mundo De Misses paid tribute to Marquez in an Instagram post early Wednesday.
"Today, with deep sorrow and great sadness, we mourn the passing of the beautiful Valeria Márquez, a beautiful model, former beauty queen, Miss Jalisco 2023 candidate, and a brave entrepreneur seeking to get ahead in a country where it is a daily challenge," the post reads.
"It is unknown who did it or why. I just hope the full force of the law falls on this individual. I hope this case is not forgotten like so many others in this country! You hurt my soul, Mexico ???????? FLY HIGH, VALERI."
Marquez was not the only person murdered in the Valle Real neighborhood in Jaliscoa Tuesday. Luis Armando Córdova Díaz, 56, a former federal and local deputy for the Institutional Revolutionary Party, was killed while spending time inside a cafe in the area.