Mexican beauty influencer Valeria Marquez, 23, was tragically shot and killed while streaming live on TikTok from a beauty salon in Zapopan. The shocking footage captured her moments before her death, where she wore a matching bodysuit and held a stuffed pig in her lap. Just prior to the incident, she was heard saying, “They’re coming,” to which an off-screen voice responded, “Hey, Vale?” After confirming the greeting and muting the stream, she was suddenly shot. Following the incident, her Instagram followers surged from under 100,000 to nearly 260,000 as responses of shock and support flooded her posts.
City police and paramedics confirmed her death at the scene. The Jalisco state attorney general’s office launched an investigation into her death as a potential femicide, a term defined by the UN as an intentional killing motivated by gender. In 2023, Mexico ranked second in Latin America for femicides, recording nearly 800 cases. Although this number shows a slight decrease from prior years, victims often have familial or communal ties to their aggressors.
Initial reports indicated that a man entered the salon and shot Marquez. Investigators are actively collecting evidence, and her body will be transferred to the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences for official identification and an autopsy. The incident underscores the pervasive issue of gender-based violence in Mexico and raises concerns over safety for women, particularly those in the public eye.
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