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USA Today
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Who was Valeria Márquez? What to know about TikTok influencer killed while livestreaming
Who was Valeria Márquez? What to know about TikTok influencer killed while livestreaming The Jalisco Attorney General's Office is currently investigating Valeria Márquez's death as a femicide, an intentional killing with a gender-related motivation. Show Caption Hide Caption TikTok influencer Valeria Marquez shot while livestreaming in Mexico A man fatally shot a 23-year-old Mexican TikTok influencer, Valeria Marquez, while she was livestreaming. Valeria Márquez, an influencer who was fatally shot in Mexico, made a name for herself on social media. Though the 23-year-old was best known for making aspirational beauty and lifestyle content online, she was also the owner of Blossom the Beauty Lounge, a budding salon in Zapopan, a city located in the western Mexican state of Jalisco. The influencer was shot and killed on May 13 at her salon by an unknown assailant while she was livestreaming on TikTok. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, the President of Mexico, confirmed an investigation into Márquez's death was underway, telling a pool of reporters at a May 15 press conference that the federal government and authorities in Jalisco were actively working to find those responsible and uncover a motive. The beauty parlor, an avid proponent of self-care, was open from August 2024 up until Márquez's murder. From massages to hair extensions, Blossom the Beauty Lounge offered a range of services to its clientele. Márquez also created content to promote her business, filming various videos of the customers and the establishment since it opened. "There is no better treatment than the time you dedicate to yourself" was the slogan associated with Márquez's business. Here's what to know about Valeria Márquez. Who was Valeria Márquez? Márquez was a model, influencer and entrepreneur. Márquez, originally from Guadalajara, amassed a following from sharing beauty and lifestyle content on both TikTok and Instagram. But her winning Miss Rostro, a regional beauty pageant, in 2021 is what kicked her career as an influencer into high gear. What made her stand out from the crowded space was her authenticity and how close she was to her followers, with whom she shared personal experiences and advice. She also shared photos of her outfits, various travels and from photoshoots on her personal Instagram account, which has over 380,000 followers. What happened to Valeria Márquez? An unidentified male approached Márquez while she was broadcasting live on TikTok from her salon. The exchange, heard on TikTok, began around 6:30 p.m. The assailant asked for Márquez by name and shot her in the chest and head after confirming her identity. He fled the salon on a motorcycle, according to reports from local outlets. The broadcast was interrupted by one of Márquez's friends, who was also in the salon. Hours before the shooting, Márquez told her followers she was concerned about suspicious packages and unnerving messages, telling them she wanted to get out of there. The Jalisco Attorney General's Office is currently investigating Márquez's death as a femicide, an intentional killing with a gender-related motivation. Márquez's remains were reportedly identified and released to her family. The family held a service for Márquez in Guadalajara on May 14, the day after she was fatally shot in her salon. "Femicide is driven by discrimination against women and girls, unequal power relations, gender stereotypes or harmful social norms," according to UN Women. "It is the most extreme and brutal manifestation of violence against women and girls which occurs on a continuum of multiple and related forms of violence..." The agency also clarified on May 14 that there is no evidence, at least in this stage of the investigation, that points to any one person despite public speculation. Any statements or allegations made related to Márquez's death, whether on social media or in the press, will be "processed and analyzed," officials said. Additional details about the case were not immediately available. Contributing: Saleen Martin and Boris Q'va, USA TODAY
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Valeria Marquez: Who was Mexican influencer killed live on TikTok?
When a 23-year-old Mexican influencer was shot dead while live streaming on TikTok, rumours began to swirl. Was it a cartel hit? Or another tragic example of violence against women? On Tuesday, Valeria Marquez was shot dead at Blossom The Beauty Lounge, a beauty salon owned by the victim in Zapopan, a town in the central-eastern state of Jalisco. The state prosecutor's office said it is investigating the crime as a femicide, meaning that it believes the crime was motivated by the fact the victim was a woman. The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, said an investigation is under way: "We're working to catch those responsible and find out why this happened." But the fact that the crime took place in Jalisco, the state where the feared Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) emerged, led to speculation by some that the cartel may somehow be involved. Ms Marquez was a Mexican model who began to make a name for herself in 2021 after winning the Miss Rostro (Miss Face) beauty pageant, according to Mexican media reports. Shortly thereafter, she began creating content on social media. She would share makeup tips and personal care routines, talk about fashion and show off her travels. Photos of her on private jets and yachts can be seen on her Instagram account, which had more than 223,000 followers at the time of her death. Ms Marquez also had another 100,000 followers on TikTok. Although it is unclear exactly what happened, during her final livestream, Ms Marquez said she was waiting for a courier she knew to deliver a gift. She added that she was a bit worried, because her friend could not see the courier's face when he arrived. "Why didn't he just drop it off (the gift)? Were they going to pick me up (kidnap me) or what?" she wondered aloud to her followers. While holding a pink stuffed animal, Ms Marquez looked away from the camera and immediately grabbed her chest and belly before collapsing into her chair. Another woman then took the phone and ended the livestream. Police arrived at the scene around 18:30 local time (12:30 GMT) and confirmed Ms Marquez's death, according to the state prosecutor. Authorities say that at least two men on motorcycles arrived at the salon and one of them asked the victim if she was Valeria. When she replied "yes," he pulled out a gun and shot her at least twice before fleeing. Investigators say they are checking CCTV footage and tracking Ms Marquez's social media accounts for clues as to who the attackers might be. Mexican beauty influencer shot dead during TikTok livestream But the salon's location in the wealthy Zapopan area of Guadalajara has raised questions about the motive for the crime. While the presence of private security and the tidyness of its streets give the impression that Zapopan is a safe area, in reality it is one of the most violent municipalities in Jalisco. In fact, shootings regularly occur in the area's luxurious shopping centres. More than half of the real estate and commercial development in the area is connected to the laundering of drug trafficking money, according to the US Department of Justice. Jalisco ranks sixth among Mexico's 32 states, including Mexico City, in terms of homicides, with 906 murders registered since the beginning of President Claudia Sheinbaum's term in October 2024, according to data consulting firm TResearch. It is also one of the Mexican states most affected by the cartels. It was here, 50 kilometres from Zapopan, that a cartel training centre was found in March, and it is here that 15,000 people have disappeared since 2018. The same day that Márquez was killed, a former congressman named Luis Armando Córdoba Díaz was murdered just two kilometres away, according to the newspaper Reforma. According to the state of Jalisco, as many as 90% of crimes are never reported or investigated. The state attorney's office has also long been accused of having links to cartels, which it denies. The prosecutor's office said that so far they have no reason to suspect that Ms Marquez's murder was ordered or carried out by any of the organised criminal groups operating in the area. Instead, the office suggested the murderer may have been motivated to kill her because of her gender. Mexican media outlets had previously published messages in which Ms Marquez blamed her ex-partner if anything happened to her. Mayor of Zapopan Juan José Frangie said his office had no record of Ms Marquez requesting help from the authorities due to threats against her, adding "a femicide is the worst thing", according to news agency AFP. "In response to claims pointing to alleged perpetrators of the femicide in Zapopan, we clarify that there are no direct accusations against any individual in the investigation file," the Jalisco prosecutor's office said in a statement. "All statements and clues, including videos and social media posts, are being analysed. The investigation is being conducted under the femicide protocol, with a gender perspective, without revictimisation and in accordance with the principles of legality, impartiality and respect for human rights," it added. Gender-based violence is a serious problem in Mexico, a country that ranks fourth in Latin America and the Caribbean for rates of femicide, behind Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia. According to the latest data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), there were 1.3 deaths per every 100,000 women in Mexico in 2023, Reuters reported. Less than 48 hours before Ms Marquez's murder, Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez, a mayoral candidate for Morena (the ruling party) in the city of Texistepec, Veracruz, was killed while participating in a political motorcade. Like the influencer's case, the politician's murder was recorded by cameras because the event was being live-streamed on Facebook. Listen to Femicide: Eight Steps to Stop a Murder Chile blazes trail for children of femicide victims Mexican prosecutors accused of covering up murder
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Killing of a Mexican influencer live on TikTok raises questions
When a 23-year-old Mexican influencer was shot dead while live streaming on TikTok, rumours began to swirl. Was it a cartel hit? Or another tragic example of violence against women? On Tuesday, Valeria Marquez was shot dead at Blossom The Beauty Lounge, a beauty salon owned by the victim in Zapopan, a town in the central-eastern state of Jalisco. The state prosecutor's office said it is investigating the crime as a femicide, meaning that it believes the crime was motivated by the fact the victim was a woman. The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, said an investigation is under way: "We're working to catch those responsible and find out why this happened." But the fact that the crime took place in Jalisco, the state where the feared Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) emerged, led to speculation by some that the cartel may somehow be involved. Ms Marquez was a Mexican model who began to make a name for herself in 2021 after winning the Miss Rostro (Miss Face) beauty pageant, according to Mexican media reports. Shortly thereafter, she began creating content on social media. She would share makeup tips and personal care routines, talk about fashion and show off her travels. Photos of her on private jets and yachts can be seen on her Instagram account, which had more than 223,000 followers at the time of her death. Ms Marquez also had another 100,000 followers on TikTok. Although it is unclear exactly what happened, during her final livestream, Ms Marquez said she was waiting for a courier she knew to deliver a gift. She added that she was a bit worried, because her friend could not see the courier's face when he arrived. "Why didn't he just drop it off (the gift)? Were they going to pick me up (kidnap me) or what?" she wondered aloud to her followers. While holding a pink stuffed animal, Ms Marquez looked away from the camera and immediately grabbed her chest and belly before collapsing into her chair. Another woman then took the phone and ended the livestream. Police arrived at the scene around 18:30 local time (12:30 GMT) and confirmed Ms Marquez's death, according to the state prosecutor. Authorities say that at least two men on motorcycles arrived at the salon and one of them asked the victim if she was Valeria. When she replied "yes," he pulled out a gun and shot her at least twice before fleeing. Investigators say they are checking CCTV footage and tracking Ms Marquez's social media accounts for clues as to who the attackers might be. Mexican beauty influencer shot dead during TikTok livestream But the salon's location in the wealthy Zapopan area of Guadalajara has raised questions about the motive for the crime. While the presence of private security and the tidyness of its streets give the impression that Zapopan is a safe area, in reality it is one of the most violent municipalities in Jalisco. In fact, shootings regularly occur in the area's luxurious shopping centres. More than half of the real estate and commercial development in the area is connected to the laundering of drug trafficking money, according to the US Department of Justice. Jalisco ranks sixth among Mexico's 32 states, including Mexico City, in terms of homicides, with 906 murders registered since the beginning of President Claudia Sheinbaum's term in October 2024, according to data consulting firm TResearch. It is also one of the Mexican states most affected by the cartels. It was here, 50 kilometres from Zapopan, that a cartel training centre was found in March, and it is here that 15,000 people have disappeared since 2018. The same day that Márquez was killed, a former congressman named Luis Armando Córdoba Díaz was murdered just two kilometres away, according to the newspaper Reforma. According to the state of Jalisco, as many as 90% of crimes are never reported or investigated. The state attorney's office has also long been accused of having links to cartels, which it denies. The prosecutor's office said that so far they have no reason to suspect that Ms Marquez's murder was ordered or carried out by any of the organised criminal groups operating in the area. Instead, the office suggested the murderer may have been motivated to kill her because of her gender. Mexican media outlets had previously published messages in which Ms Marquez blamed her ex-partner if anything happened to her. Mayor of Zapopan Juan José Frangie said his office had no record of Ms Marquez requesting help from the authorities due to threats against her, adding "a femicide is the worst thing", according to news agency AFP. "In response to claims pointing to alleged perpetrators of the femicide in Zapopan, we clarify that there are no direct accusations against any individual in the investigation file," the Jalisco prosecutor's office said in a statement. "All statements and clues, including videos and social media posts, are being analysed. The investigation is being conducted under the femicide protocol, with a gender perspective, without revictimisation and in accordance with the principles of legality, impartiality and respect for human rights," it added. Gender-based violence is a serious problem in Mexico, a country that ranks fourth in Latin America and the Caribbean for rates of femicide, behind Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia. According to the latest data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), there were 1.3 deaths per every 100,000 women in Mexico in 2023, Reuters reported. Less than 48 hours before Ms Marquez's murder, Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez, a mayoral candidate for Morena (the ruling party) in the city of Texistepec, Veracruz, was killed while participating in a political motorcade. Like the influencer's case, the politician's murder was recorded by cameras because the event was being live-streamed on Facebook. Listen to Femicide: Eight Steps to Stop a Murder Chile blazes trail for children of femicide victims Mexican prosecutors accused of covering up murder
BBC News
16-05-2025
- BBC News
Killing of a Mexican TikToker Valeria Márquez raises questions
When a 23-year-old Mexican influencer was shot dead while live streaming on TikTok, rumours began to swirl. Was it a cartel hit? Or another tragic example of violence against women?On Tuesday, Valeria Marquez was shot dead at Blossom The Beauty Lounge, a beauty salon owned by the victim in Zapopan, a town in the central-eastern state of state prosecutor's office said it is investigating the crime as a femicide, meaning that it believes the crime was motivated by the fact the victim was a president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, said an investigation is under way: "We're working to catch those responsible and find out why this happened."But the fact that the crime took place in Jalisco, the state where the feared Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) emerged, led to speculation by some that the cartel may somehow be involved. A rising star Ms Marquez was a Mexican model who began to make a name for herself in 2021 after winning the Miss Rostro (Miss Face) beauty pageant, according to Mexican media thereafter, she began creating content on social media. She would share makeup tips and personal care routines, talk about fashion and show off her of her on private jets and yachts can be seen on her Instagram account, which had more than 223,000 followers at the time of her Marquez also had another 100,000 followers on it is unclear exactly what happened, during her final livestream, Ms Marquez said she was waiting for a courier she knew to deliver a added that she was a bit worried, because her friend could not see the courier's face when he arrived."Why didn't he just drop it off (the gift)? Were they going to pick me up (kidnap me) or what?" she wondered aloud to her holding a pink stuffed animal, Ms Marquez looked away from the camera and immediately grabbed her chest and belly before collapsing into her woman then took the phone and ended the arrived at the scene around 18:30 local time (12:30 GMT) and confirmed Ms Marquez's death, according to the state say that at least two men on motorcycles arrived at the salon and one of them asked the victim if she was Valeria. When she replied "yes," he pulled out a gun and shot her at least twice before say they are checking CCTV footage and tracking Ms Marquez's social media accounts for clues as to who the attackers might beauty influencer shot dead during TikTok livestream Motive still unknown But the salon's location in the wealthy Zapopan area of Guadalajara has raised questions about the motive for the crime. While the presence of private security and the tidyness of its streets give the impression that Zapopan is a safe area, in reality it is one of the most violent municipalities in Jalisco. In fact, shootings regularly occur in the area's luxurious shopping than half of the real estate and commercial development in the area is connected to the laundering of drug trafficking money, according to the US Department of ranks sixth among Mexico's 32 states, including Mexico City, in terms of homicides, with 906 murders registered since the beginning of President Claudia Sheinbaum's term in October 2024, according to data consulting firm is also one of the Mexican states most affected by the cartels. It was here, 50 kilometres from Zapopan, that a cartel training centre was found in March, and it is here that 15,000 people have disappeared since same day that Márquez was killed, a former congressman named Luis Armando Córdoba Díaz was murdered just two kilometres away, according to the newspaper to the state of Jalisco, as many as 90% of crimes are never reported or investigated. The state attorney's office has also long been accused of having links to cartels, which it prosecutor's office said that so far they have no reason to suspect that Ms Marquez's murder was ordered or carried out by any of the organised criminal groups operating in the the office suggested the murderer may have been motivated to kill her because of her gender. Mexican media outlets had previously published messages in which Ms Marquez blamed her ex-partner if anything happened to of Zapopan Juan José Frangie said his office had no record of Ms Marquez requesting help from the authorities due to threats against her, adding "a femicide is the worst thing", according to news agency AFP."In response to claims pointing to alleged perpetrators of the femicide in Zapopan, we clarify that there are no direct accusations against any individual in the investigation file," the Jalisco prosecutor's office said in a statement."All statements and clues, including videos and social media posts, are being analysed. The investigation is being conducted under the femicide protocol, with a gender perspective, without revictimisation and in accordance with the principles of legality, impartiality and respect for human rights," it violence is a serious problem in Mexico, a country that ranks fourth in Latin America and the Caribbean for rates of femicide, behind Paraguay, Uruguay, and to the latest data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), there were 1.3 deaths per every 100,000 women in Mexico in 2023, Reuters than 48 hours before Ms Marquez's murder, Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez, a mayoral candidate for Morena (the ruling party) in the city of Texistepec, Veracruz, was killed while participating in a political motorcade. Like the influencer's case, the politician's murder was recorded by cameras because the event was being live-streamed on Facebook.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Killing of a Mexican influencer live on TikTok raises questions
When a 23-year-old Mexican influencer was shot dead while live streaming on TikTok, rumours began to swirl. Was it a cartel hit? Or another tragic example of violence against women? On Tuesday, Valeria Marquez was shot dead at Blossom The Beauty Lounge, a beauty salon owned by the victim in Zapopan, a town in the central-eastern state of Jalisco. The state prosecutor's office announced that it is handling the crime "under the femicide protocol," meaning that it believes the crime was motivated by the fact the victim was a woman. The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, said an investigation is underway: "We're working to catch those responsible and find out why this happened." But the fact that the crime took place in Jalisco, the state where the feared Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) emerged, led to speculation by some that the cartel may somehow be involved. Ms Marquez was a Mexican model who began to make a name for herself in 2021 after winning the Miss Rostro (Miss Face) beauty pageant, according to Mexican media reports. Shortly thereafter, she began creating content on social media. She would share makeup tips and personal care routines, talk about fashion and show off her travels. Photos of her on private jets and yachts can be seen on her Instagram account, which had more than 223,000 followers at the time of her death. Ms Marquez also had another 100,000 followers on TikTok. Although it is unclear exactly what happened, during her final livestream, Ms Marquez said she was waiting for a courier she knew to deliver a gift. She added that she was a bit worried, because her friend could not see the courier's face when he arrived. "Why didn't he just drop it off (the gift)? Were they going to pick me up (kidnap me) or what?" she wondered aloud to her followers. While holding a pink stuffed animal, Ms Marquez looked away from the camera and immediately grabbed her chest and belly before collapsing into her chair. Another woman then took the phone and ended the livestream. Police arrived at the scene around 18:30 local time (12:30 GMT) and confirmed Ms Marquez's death, according to the state prosecutor. Authorities say that at least two men on motorcycles arrived at the salon and one of them asked the victim if she was Valeria. When she replied "yes," he pulled out a gun and shot her at least twice before fleeing. Investigators say they are checking CCTV footage and tracking Ms Marquez's social media accounts for clues as to who the attackers might be. Mexican beauty influencer shot dead during TikTok livestream But the salon's location in the wealthy Zapopan area of Guadalajara has raised questions about the motive for the crime. While the presence of private security and the tidyness of its streets give the impression that Zapopan is a safe area, in reality it is one of the most violent municipalities in Jalisco. In fact, shootings regularly occur in the area's luxurious shopping centres. More than half of the real estate and commercial development in the area is connected to the laundering of drug trafficking money, according to the US Department of Justice. Jalisco ranks sixth among Mexico's 32 states, including Mexico City, in terms of homicides, with 906 murders registered since the beginning of President Claudia Sheinbaum's term in October 2024, according to data consulting firm TResearch. It is also one of the Mexican states most affected by the cartels. It was here, 50 kilometres from Zapopan, that a cartel training centre was found in March, and it is here that 15,000 people have disappeared since 2018. The same day that Márquez was killed, a former congressman named Luis Armando Córdoba Díaz was murdered just two kilometres away, according to the newspaper Reforma. According to the state of Jalisco, as many as 90% of crimes are never reported or investigated. The state attorney's office has also long been accused of having links to cartels, which it denies. The prosecutor's office said that so far they have no reason to suspect that Ms Marquez's murder was ordered or carried out by any of the organised criminal groups operating in the area. Instead, the office suggested the murderer may have been motivated to kill her because of her gender. Mexican media outlets had previously published messages in which Ms Marquez blamed her ex-partner if anything happened to her. Mayor of Zapopan Juan José Frangie said his office had no record of Ms Marquez requesting help from the authorities due to threats against her, adding "a femicide is the worst thing", according to news agency AFP. "In response to claims pointing to alleged perpetrators of the femicide in Zapopan, we clarify that there are no direct accusations against any individual in the investigation file," the Jalisco prosecutor's office said in a statement. "All statements and clues, including videos and social media posts, are being analysed. The investigation is being conducted under the femicide protocol, with a gender perspective, without revictimisation and in accordance with the principles of legality, impartiality and respect for human rights," it added. Gender-based violence is a serious problem in Mexico, a country that ranks fourth in Latin America and the Caribbean for rates of femicide, behind Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia. According to the latest data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), there were 1.3 deaths per every 100,000 women in Mexico in 2023, Reuters reported. Less than 48 hours before Ms Marquez's murder, Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez, a mayoral candidate for Morena (the ruling party) in the city of Texistepec, Veracruz, was killed while participating in a political motorcade. Like the influencer's case, the politician's murder was recorded by cameras because the event was being live-streamed on Facebook. Listen to Femicide: Eight Steps to Stop a Murder Chile blazes trail for children of femicide victims Mexican prosecutors accused of covering up murder
