Valeria Marquez, a 23-year-old Mexican social media influencer, was shot to death during a TikTok livestream on Tuesday. Known for her videos about beauty and makeup, Marquez was killed in the beauty salon where she worked in Zapopan, the largest city in the Mexican state of Jalisco.
According to a statement from the Jalisco state prosecutor, the case is being investigated according to protocols for femicide — the intentional killing of women or girls because of their gender. The prosecutor did not name a suspect.
Moments before her death, Marquez was seen on her TikTok livestream speaking to a man off camera when she was shot once in the chest and once in the head, and collapsed. The influencer was heard saying, “they’re coming,” before a voice in the background asked, “Hey, Vale?”
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A person appeared to pick up Marquez’s phone, and their face briefly showed on the livestream.
The incident was reported at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Avenida Servidor Público, in the Real del Carmen neighborhood. Municipal Police officers responded to the scene after receiving the report through an emergency service phone line, confirming the victim’s death.
Zapopan Mayor Juan Jose Frangie stated that there is no record of Marquez seeking help about any threats, according to AP. This is the eighth femicide so far this month in Jalisco.
A few hours later, a former congressman with the Mexican PRI party, Luis Armando Córdova Díaz, was also shot dead in the area.
Marquez was crowned Miss Rostro, a local beauty contest, in 2021, and had about 200,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. Her social media accounts have received many comments mourning her.
