Mexico City Incident Highlights Gender-Based Violence

A young Mexican influencer, recognized for beauty and makeup content, was tragically shot during a live TikTok stream, shocking a nation grappling with severe gender violence.

The 23-year-old Valeria Marquez’s death is currently under investigation as a potential gender-motivated murder, according to a statement from Jalisco prosecutors released on Tuesday evening.

Mexican law defines murder in this context to encompass various factors including violence, sexual assault, connections between the victim and the perpetrator, or the degrading treatment of a victim’s body displayed in public.

Marquez was fatally shot at a beauty salon in Zapopan, where she was working, by a man who entered and opened fire. The suspect has not been identified by the authorities.

Just moments before the shooting, Marquez was seen on TikTok at a table, playing with toys during a live stream. She heard someone say, “They’re coming,” to which she responded, “Yes,” right before she muted the audio.

Shortly thereafter, she was shot, and the assailant briefly exposed his face on the stream before it abruptly ended, as if someone was picking up a phone.

With nearly 200,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, Marquez expressed during the live stream her concern about a visitor arriving at the salon without an “expensive gift.” She seemed anxious, stating she had no intention of waiting for the person to return.

As the fourth-highest country for murder rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico recorded 1.3 female deaths per 100,000 in 2023. Alongside Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia, it occupies this alarming rank.

Data from TRESERACH indicates that Jalisco is the sixth most dangerous state out of 32 in Mexico, with 906 murders counted since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October 2024.