A social media star has been fatally killed while livestreaming to her followers, after voicing her concerns about her safety.
Valeria Marquez, a 23-year-old beauty influencer from Zapopan, Mexico, was murdered while livestreaming to her TikTok followers, in a chilling attack that has reignited outrage over Mexico's ongoing femicide crisis, BBC News has reported.
Shot on camera during a moment of joy
Marquez was chatting with fans from her salon, Blossom The Beauty Lounge, when a delivery arrived at the door. Beaming as she unwrapped a stuffed animal, she held it up for her viewers.
"He's a little piglet!" she exclaimed, per CNN.
Moments later, Marquez collapsed, shot in the head and chest. Blood pooled on the desk in front of her. The livestream continued until someone picked up her phone and ended the broadcast.
The attack shocked thousands who watched it unfold live — and countless others who viewed the aftermath online.
“Maybe they were going to kill me”
Earlier that day, a masked man had visited the salon, claiming to have a “very expensive” gift for Marquez. She never saw his face. A woman at the salon said the men wanted to deliver it in person. When Marquez heard, she expressed fear in her livestream.
"Maybe they were going to kill me," she said, according to a report from CBS News. "Were they going to come and take me away, or what? I'm worried."
Later in the stream, she said, “They're coming,” before a voice off-screen asked, “Hey, Vale?” She replied, “Yes.” Then she was shot.
Authorities believe the killers were hired assassins. “The aggressor arrived asking if the victim (Marquez) was there. So it appears he didn't know her,” said Denis Rodríguez, spokesperson for the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office. “With that, you can deduce — without jumping to conclusions — that this was a person who was paid. It was obviously someone who came with a purpose.”
A rising star silenced
Marquez had gained attention in 2021 after winning the Miss Rostro (Miss Face) beauty pageant. She built a social media presence sharing makeup tips, beauty routines, and glimpses into a luxurious lifestyle — private jets, yachts, and poolside lounging.
She had over 223,000 followers on Instagram and more than 100,000 on TikTok.
Now, her accounts are filled with tributes: "She was very beautiful," one fan wrote. "I hope justice is served, she didn't deserve that ending." Another said, "I had the opportunity to meet her in person, a person with a very beautiful energy, [I] am still in shock."
Femicide in Mexico: an epidemic of violence
Mexican authorities are investigating the murder as a suspected femicide—a term used when a woman is killed due to her gender.
According to Amnesty International, 25% of all female homicides in Mexico in 2020 were classified as femicides. In 2023, 847 femicides were reported, with 162 more recorded in the first three months of 2024. Human Rights Watch notes that just 67% of those cases ever lead to a verdict, per government figures.
"In 2022, around 4,000 women were killed in Mexico, which amounts to 12% of all homicides that year," said Juanita Goebertus, Americas Director at Human Rights Watch. “The main challenge is increasing authorities' capacity to investigate and protect witnesses and victims.”
The Zapopan mayor, Juan José Frangie, said Marquez had not previously reported threats. “It’s incredible that (one minute) you’re making a video and then you’re murdered. A femicide is the worst thing,” he said.
On the same day Marquez was killed, former congressman Luis Armando Córdoba Díaz was also murdered in a nearby shopping mall—gunned down by two men on a motorcycle.
Cartel violence and a climate of fear
Though prosecutors haven’t directly linked Marquez’s murder to cartel violence, the context is unavoidable. Jalisco is home to the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Cartel training centers have been discovered nearby, and organized crime has increasingly been accused of targeting influencers.
David Saucedo, an expert on Mexican cartels, said influencers have become “another cog in the machine of organized crime.”
In January, pamphlets were reportedly dropped from planes in Culiacan threatening musicians and YouTubers.
“Justice for Valeria”
As investigators continue their search, fans, friends, and activists are demanding answers.
“So young and beautiful, she did not deserve to have her life taken away,” one comment reads. Others blame an ex-boyfriend, citing messages previously posted by Marquez warning that if something happened to her, he was responsible.
The Jalisco prosecutor's office has confirmed that the case is being handled under a femicide protocol. “All statements and clues, including videos and social media posts, are being analysed... with a gender perspective, without revictimisation and in accordance with the principles of legality, impartiality and respect for human rights,” it said in a statement.