TikTok Influencer Shot Dead During Livestream in Suspected Femicide Case in Mexico

• 23-year-old TikTok influencer Valeria Marquez fatally shot during a live broadcast from her salon in Zapopan.

• Footage showed Marquez smiling moments before a male intruder entered and opened fire.

• Authorities are treating the killing as a suspected femicide.

• Mexico has reported over 160 femicide cases in 2025 alone, highlighting the nation’s ongoing gender-based violence crisis.

• Human Rights Watch criticizes low conviction rates and poor investigative capacity in Mexico.

Influencer Killed On Camera in Jalisco

Valeria Marquez, a 23-year-old TikTok beauty influencer, was fatally shot during a livestream from her beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco, shocking her 100,000+ followers and reigniting concerns over violence against women in Mexico.

Just before the shooting, Marquez received a parcel at the salon’s door, joking with viewers about the “little piglet” stuffed animal she received. Within seconds, she was slumped over the desk, blood visibly pooling as the camera continued to roll.

Authorities confirmed a male intruder entered and fired the fatal shots, and the case is being investigated as a suspected femicide, the Jalisco Attorney General’s Office said. CNN’s full report

A Pattern of Violence Against Women

The case mirrors a similar livestream assassination of a mayoral candidate in Veracruz just days prior. According to Amnesty International, a quarter of all female homicides in Mexico in 2020 were investigated as femicides.

In the first quarter of 2025 alone, Mexico reported 162 femicide cases, adding to the 847 cases in 2024, per government data.

Accountability Remains Low

“In 2022, around 4,000 women were killed in Mexico,” said Juanita Goebertus, Americas Director at Human Rights Watch, adding that only around 67% of cases ever reach a verdict. Investigative weaknesses and lack of witness protection remain key challenges.

Mexico’s femicide crisis spans all 32 states, yet critics say enforcement and justice mechanisms have lagged far behind.