TikToker Valeria Marquez fatally shot during livestream at beauty salon in Mexico
TikToker Valeria Marquez fatally shot during livestream at beauty salon in Mexico
A man fatally shot a 23-year-old Mexican TikTok influencer while she was livestreaming on May 13, and investigators are looking at her killing as a femicide case.
The woman was identified by Reuters as Valeria Marquez. She was killed in what the Jalisco State Attorney's Office has officially called a femicide, a murder of a woman or girl because of her gender.
Marquez was at a beauty salon in western Zapopan, a city located in the Mexican state of Jalisco, prosecutors said in a statement shared on social media. Marquez was inside a beauty salon when a man entered and shot her.
Both municipal police officers and paramedics responded to the scene, confirming that Marquez had died, prosecutors said.
While no suspect has been identified yet, investigators were at the scene gathering testimony and evidence, as well as social media activity, prosecutors said.
The office said experts from the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences were processing the scene, and Marquez's body was taken to forensic medical service personnel for an autopsy.
Read in Spanish: Asesinato de Valeria Márquez durante un live en TikTok conmociona al mundo
What happened to Valeria Marquez?
Marquez often shared photos of herself modeling and traveling. She also worked at the beauty salon where she was killed, reported Reuters.
According to the outlet, Marquez said earlier while livestreaming that someone came to the salon while she was out. The person had an expensive gift for her, and she seemed concerned. She said she wasn't waiting for the person to return.
Shortly before she was killed, Marquez was seen holding a stuffed toy, then she said 'They're coming.'
A voice then said "Hey, Vale,' which translates to "Hey, okay?'
Marquez replied 'Yes,' and then muted the livestream. Shortly after, she was shot.
Someone grabbed her phone, briefly appearing on screen before the stream ended, reported Reuters.
As of May 15, Marquez's following on social media has continued to grow. By noon, the influencer had amassed over 250,000 followers on Instagram.
'It's amazing how you get massive followers only when something happens to you because before you don't even appear in their world,' wrote one user on May 14, translated from Spanish.
What is femicide?
Prosecutors said the case is being investigated as a face of femicide, sometimes called feminicide.
Femicide is the killing of women and girls because of their gender, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality.
According to the institute, femicide happens when women are murdered as a result of intimate partner violence, killed in the name of honor, killed in connection to dowries, killed because of their sexual orientation, and other scenarios.
Femicides have also been connected to gangs, organized crime, drug dealers, human trafficking and the proliferation of small arms, the institute said.
Kidnapping and other crimes in Jalisco
Back in September 2024, U.S. officials issued a travel advisory for the state of Jalisco, urging travelers to 'reconsider travel due to crime and kidnapping.'
'Violent crime and gang activity are common in parts of Jalisco state,' the U.S. Department of State shared. 'In Guadalajara, territorial battles between criminal groups take place in tourist areas. Shooting incidents between criminal groups have injured or killed innocent bystanders. U.S. citizens and (lawful permanent residents) have been victims of kidnapping.'
On May 13, prosecutors in Jalisco announced that a woman was arrested for the role she may have played in femicide against another woman. According to prosecutors, the killing happened in May 2024.
The victim went to a home where two men and another woman were present. The two men approached the woman, accused her of stealing drugs, and physically assaulted her, prosecutors said.
'The now-detained woman allegedly participated in the attacks that took the victim's life,' prosecutors wrote on May 13.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
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