Valeria Marquez, a 23-year-old beauty influencer with about 200,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, was shot and killed during a live TikTok session at her salon in Zapopan, Mexico, according to local authorities.
Just before the incident, Marquez, who gained popularity through her makeup tutorials, was heard saying, “He’s a little pig!” to her audience. Shortly thereafter, someone asked in the background if they were coming, and a voice inquired, “Hey, veil?” The live stream ended suddenly, leaving viewers to witness the chaos following the shooting.
The Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office has stated that they are treating Marquez’s death as a suspected gender-based murder. However, no suspects have been identified thus far.
This tragic event highlights the alarming levels of violence faced by women in Mexico. Just days prior, a mayoral candidate in Veracruz was also murdered during a live broadcast.
It’s worth noting that not every case of female murder falls under the category of feminicide, although many do. Amnesty International reported that approximately 25% of female murders in Mexico in 2020 were treated as such.
