A Mexican social media influencer was shot and killed Tuesday while livestreaming from her beauty salon.
23-year-old TikTok influencer Valeria Marquez was broadcasting to her followers from Blossom the Beauty Lounge when a gunman on a motorbike opened fire on the Jalisco establishment. Footage from the livestream showed Márquez looking out a window before bullets struck her in the chest and head. She was seen grabbing her side where the bullet hit, then she collapsed. An unidentified woman was later seen turning off the camera.
According to the Daily Mail, initial reports indicated the gunman entered the salon before firing and fleeing on a motorbike. Paramedics arrived on scene, but Márquez was pronounced dead immediately. Authorities say a manhunt is underway, and the investigation remains active as the suspect has not been identified.
Márquez had over 110,000 followers on TikTok, where she posted beauty and lifestyle videos. Authorities noted that she had “an active presence and influence on social media.”
A statement from the Jalisco prosecutor’s office said, “According to the initial investigation, she was in her establishment when a man entered and apparently shot her several times with a firearm, killing her.”
"Today with deep pain and much sadness we mourn the sensitive passing of the beautiful Valeria Marquez,” wrote Mexican Blogger Mundo De Misses on Instagram. The post also referred to her as a "brave entrepreneur," who "was looking to get ahead in a country where it is a challenge day to day."
Her killing comes amid a wave of political and social violence in Mexico. Just days earlier, a mayoral candidate was gunned down during a Facebook livestream of her campaign rally alongside three supporters, including her own daughter.
