Mexican Beauty Influencer Gunned Down During Livestream; Mayoral Candidate Among Recent Victims in Wave of Violence
- Victor Nwoko
- May 14
- 3 min read
A rising Mexican beauty influencer was shot dead while livestreaming from her salon, marking a chilling episode in the country’s ongoing epidemic of violence against women and public figures.
Valeria Marquez, a 23-year-old TikTok star and aesthetician, was broadcasting live to her 110,000 followers from inside her beauty salon, Blossom the Beauty Lounge, in Jalisco, western Mexico, when a gunman entered the premises and opened fire.
The livestream captured the horrifying moment Marquez was struck once in the chest and twice in the head after glancing out the window. In the footage, she appeared to clutch her ribcage before collapsing to the floor. An unidentified woman was later seen in the video, apparently turning off the camera.
Eyewitnesses reported that the assailant fled the scene on a motorcycle. Emergency services responded swiftly, but Marquez was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have cordoned off the area, and a full-scale manhunt is underway. An autopsy is scheduled, and police continue to investigate the brutal killing.
Marquez had gained popularity for her beauty and lifestyle content, and her death has sent shockwaves through her online following and the wider community.
Officials from the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that a male suspect entered her salon and shot her multiple times. The motive remains unclear.
Her killing highlights the broader crisis of gender-based violence in Mexico, where femicide rates remain among the highest globally. Despite national outrage and campaigns for justice, the violence continues — often with impunity.
Marquez’s murder comes just days after another shocking assassination, this time involving a political candidate. Yesenia Lara Gutierrez, a mayoral hopeful representing the ruling Morena party, was gunned down during a campaign rally in Texistepec, Veracruz. She was greeting residents, including women with children, when gunfire erupted, killing her and three others, including her daughter.
The attack was captured on a Facebook livestream, where at least 20 shots could be heard as panicked residents fled the scene. Gutierrez had been actively campaigning throughout the region, posting optimistic messages about youth empowerment just hours before her death.
Veracruz Governor Rocio Nahle condemned the attack as an act of terrorism, pledging justice and vowing to uphold democratic processes ahead of Mexico’s June 1 elections. She confirmed that 57 candidates had requested security protection amid rising fears of political violence, though it remains unclear if Gutierrez was among them.
This is the second political assassination in Veracruz during the current election cycle. On April 29, fellow Morena candidate German Anuar Valencia was also killed.
At Gutierrez’s wake, family and supporters voiced frustration and fear. “We can't continue with the insecurity, we're tired of all of this — this is terrorism,” said Joaquín Fonseca. “There are five people dead, not one. We're living the worst of the terrorism.”
President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the violence in her Monday briefing, confirming the federal government is coordinating with Veracruz officials and offering additional support to safeguard the electoral process.
The dual tragedies — the killing of a young beauty influencer and a mayoral candidate — underscore Mexico’s deepening crisis of insecurity. The widespread targeting of women and political figures by armed actors reveals the dangerous intersection of gender-based violence, organized crime, and political instability across the nation.
Video of the livestream showing the influencer being gunned down
Comments