Who was Maria Jose Estupinan? Columbian influencer shot days after Valeria Marquez's murder
What happened?
On May 15, Maria José Estupiñán, a 22-year-old university student living in Colombia's northern city of Cúcuta, was reportedly shot several times at her residence by a man pretending to be a delivery person.
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In security footage that has been widely shared across social media, a man can be seen running away after allegedly shooting Estupiñán, who can be heard screaming in pain.
Estupiñán, who was a student at Francisco de Paula Santander University, died shortly after from her injuries.
Who was Maria José Estupiñán?
Maria José Estupiñán Sánchez was a 22-year-old Colombian model and social media influencer from Cúcuta, Colombia. Estupiñán had a significant online presence, known for her modeling work and as a university student.
She was tragically shot and killed on May 15, 2025, outside her home by a man posing as a delivery driver. The assailant shot her multiple times before fleeing the scene, and security footage captured the suspect's escape.
Her death occurred just days after a similar incident in Mexico, where influencer Valeria Márquez was murdered during a TikTok livestream.
What we know so far:
Authorities are investigating Estupiñán's murder as a possible femicide, as she had previously reported her ex-partner for domestic violence.
A judge had ruled in her favor just a day before her death, ordering compensation from her abuser. Women's rights groups have criticized the Colombian government for systemic failures, blaming state negligence for preventable deaths like Estupiñán's.
Is Estupiñán's murder a femicide?
Magda Victoria Acosta, president of the National Gender Commission of the Colombian Judiciary, revealed that Estupiñán's death came just as she was expecting to receive 30 million pesos from her ex-partner as part of a domestic violence complaint she filed against him in 2018.
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Although authorities have said they are investigating Estupiñán's murder, it's unclear if they're pursuing it as a suspected femicide.
Only days before Estupiñán's death, Valeria Márquez, a 23-year-old Mexican beauty influencer, tragically lost her life during a TikTok livestream on May 13, 2025.
The incident occurred at Blossom the Beauty Lounge in Zapopan, Jalisco, where she was fatally shot while broadcasting to her nearly 200,000 followers.
In her final moments, she reportedly said, 'Ya vienen' ('They are coming'), just before the stream abruptly ended.
Before her death, Márquez had expressed concerns about her safety on social media, mentioning receiving a costly gift from an unknown person, which raised her apprehension.
Authorities are currently investigating the case as femicide, a term under Mexican law referring to gender-motivated killings involving degrading violence or misogyny.
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