A young Mexican beauty influencer was gunned down in cold blood during a live TikTok stream, a shocking act of violence that has once again exposed the deadly reality women face in a country plagued by gender-based killings.
Valeria Márquez, a 23-year-old beauty influencer with nearly 200,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, was fatally shot Tuesday while streaming live from her salon in Zapopan, Mexico. Authorities confirmed her death, which occurred during a TikTok broadcast.
Before the shooting, Márquez, known for her makeup and beauty videos, received a stuffed animal delivery. She excitedly showed it to her viewers, saying, “He’s a little piglet!” Just moments later, she was heard saying, “They’re coming,” followed by someone in the background asking, “Hey, Vale?” The livestream abruptly ended, but not before viewers saw the shocking aftermath of the shooting, according to The Guardian.
The Jalisco state prosecutor’s office is investigating her death as a possible femicide, a gender-based killing of a woman. However, the authorities have not named a suspect yet.
Márquez’s tragic death highlights the ongoing issue of violence against women in Mexico. Just days earlier, a mayoral candidate in Veracruz was also shot and killed during a livestream. While not all homicides of women are labeled femicides, many are. Amnesty International reported that a quarter of female killings in Mexico in 2020 were investigated as femicides.
