Who was Valeria Márquez? Mexican influencer shot dead during TikTok livestream in suspected femicide

Valeria Márquez, a 23-year-old Mexican beauty influencer, was shot dead while she was live streaming on TikTok, according to a report by the BBC.

BBC reported that the reason behind the shooting is still under investigation by the authorities, but it is being treated as a case of femicide, an extreme form of gender-based violence common in Latin America, where a woman is attacked due to her gender.

Reportedly, Márquez was also a model who frequently shared her beauty and lifestyle clips online. She had a large fan following on social media, including TikTok and Instagram, with over 58.2K followers on TikTok and 214K followers on Instagram.

According to Merca 20, Valeria Márquez was from Guadalajara, Jalisco. In 2021, she earned the title of Miss Rostro, which marked a turning point in her career. In addition to her work as a content creator, she owned a beauty salon called Blossom the Beauty Lounge in Zapopan, Jalisco. She offered beauty services and also promoted content related to beauty.

How did the attack take place that killed Valeria Márquez?

According to multiple reports, Valeria Márquez was in the middle of a livestream when she was shot by a motorbike-riding gunman on May 13, 2025. They pretended to deliver a gift, as stated by the state prosecutor's office.

The beauty influencer was working at the salon when two men pulled up on a motorbike outside her salon. A masked man entered the salon in search of Ms Márquez. While narrating the whole incident to The New York Times, Denis Rodríguez, a spokesman for the Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office, said:

“He asked her directly: ‘Are you Valeria?’” She responded, “Yes.”

The man instantly shot her dead. Although the authorities took down Valeria Márquez's TikTok account, the video of her killing has circulated widely online. It depicted her sitting in a chair at the salon, holding a pink stuffed pig in her lap, before looking away from the camera. Moments later, she clutches her chest and stomach before slumping in her chair.

Mr Rodríguez further informed that,

“she was still sitting in the chair, where she was surprised, with that doll, the little pig, right there in her arms.”

He said that the men didn't know her personally as they had to ask for her by name.

Just hours before her death, Márquez shared a selfie of herself posing in the salon. She was also approached by a woman named Viviana, who asked her to stay back as she wanted to meet her. Moments later, the attack took place.

Prosecutors in Jalisco are still investigating her case, but the New Generation Jalisco Cartel maintains firm control over the region.

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