Valeria Márquez, a 23-year-old Mexican beauty influencer and aesthetician, was tragically shot and killed during a social media livestream from her beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco, on Tuesday evening. The horrifying moment was captured on TikTok, where Márquez regularly shared content with her more than 110,000 followers.

Livestream turns fatal

The brutal incident occurred at Blossom the Beauty Lounge, the salon owned by Márquez, located in the Santa María shopping plaza. According to local media including El Imparcial, the gunman arrived on a motorbike under the pretext of delivering a gift before opening fire inside the establishment.

Footage from the livestream shows Márquez smiling and looking out of the window moments before she is struck by three bullets — one in the chest and two in the head. She appears to clutch her ribcage before collapsing, as a woman enters the frame and seemingly turns off the stream.

Investigations underway

Jalisco’s State Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that police received a 911 call at around 6:30 p.m. reporting a shooting at a salon in the Colonia Real del Carmen neighbourhood. According to Daily Mail, Officers responding to the scene found Márquez with fatal injuries and declared her dead at the scene.

In a statement, the prosecutor’s office noted that early investigations indicated a man entered the premises and fired multiple shots at the influencer before fleeing. They also acknowledged that Márquez was a social media figure with an active online presence. The scene has since been cordoned off as forensic teams gather evidence and testimonies.

While the gunman remains unidentified, a manhunt is ongoing. Officials have not commented on any potential motive. An autopsy and formal identification by family members are expected to take place at the Forensic Medical Service (SEMEFO) facilities in Jalisco.

Rising violence against women in Mexico

Márquez’s killing adds to growing concerns about violence against women in Mexico, a country struggling with a longstanding femicide crisis. According to the United Nations, Mexico ranks second in Latin America for femicides. A 2022 survey by Mexico’s statistics agency found that more than 70% of women aged 15 or older had experienced some form of violence.

The Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office described the murder as a deliberate attack, echoing the sentiments of activists and women’s rights groups calling for greater protections for women in public and professional spaces.

A broader pattern of violence

Márquez’s killing came just hours after another fatal shooting occurred nearby, involving a public official who was gunned down while waiting to meet someone at a nearby plaza. Authorities have not established any connection between the two incidents.

The tragedy also follows the recent assassination of Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez, a mayoral candidate in Veracruz, who was killed alongside her daughter and two supporters during a campaign rally. That shooting was also streamed live, adding to the alarming trend of public figures being targeted in broad daylight.

Veracruz Governor Rocío Nahle condemned the political killing as terrorism and stated, “No office or position is worth a person’s life,” during a press briefing. President Claudia Sheinbaum also addressed the rising violence, reaffirming her administration’s commitment to zero impunity for femicide and other crimes against women.