A 23-year-old TikTok beauty influencer, Valeria Marquez, was tragically shot dead while livestreaming from her beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco State, Mexico.
The incident, which was captured live and watched by her followers, occurred just moments after she received a small parcel containing a stuffed toy. Smiling and engaging with her audience, Marquez had just unwrapped the gift and returned to her seat when a man entered the salon and shot her.
The shocking footage continued for several seconds before someone picked up her phone, briefly revealing their face, and ended the stream.
Authorities in Jalisco have launched an investigation and are treating the case as suspected femicide—a term used in Mexico for the gender-based killing of women. The state’s Attorney General’s Office confirmed that a male suspect entered the salon and fatally shot her.
Marquez, who had over 100,000 followers on Instagram, is the latest victim in Mexico’s growing crisis of violence against women. According to government figures, 847 femicide cases were reported nationwide in 2023, with 162 already recorded in the first three months of 2025.
While not all female homicides are classified as femicides, advocacy groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have raised concerns about the lack of investigations and poor prosecution rates in such cases.
In 2022, around 4,000 women were killed in Mexico—12% of all homicides that year. Only about 67% of cases result in a verdict, according to Human Rights Watch.
“This tragedy is another reminder of the urgent need to strengthen investigations, protect victims, and end impunity,” said Juanita Goebertus, Americas Director at Human Rights Watch.
Valeria Marquez’s death has triggered widespread outrage online, with fans and women’s rights groups demanding justice and improved security for women across Mexico.
