Valeria Márquez died at 23, killed live on TikTok, in her own beauty salon in Zapopan, an upscale and tense city located in western Mexico. That day, she was hosting a live stream in front of several thousand viewers. A man entered the establishment, looked at her calmly, then asked: "Are you Valeria?" She nodded. He opened fire. Three bullets were enough. The young woman collapsed, off-screen. The live continued for a few seconds before being interrupted.
The scene, of brutal violence, was captured in its entirety. In the footage, the man shows no panic. Moments before her death, Valeria was holding a pink plush pig and joking with her followers. Then, in a half-whisper, she let slip this phrase: “Maybe they were going to kill me.” A chilling prophecy.
A rising social media figure targeted without warning
Valeria Márquez had more than 100,000 followers on TikTok and 115,000 on Instagram. She shared videos mixing beauty tutorials, life moments, and showcasing a lavish lifestyle: luxury cars, yachts, private jets. Her salon Blossom, opened in August 2024, embodied the culmination of several years of digital presence. She had never mentioned public threats. According to Juan José Frangie, mayor of Zapopan, no report foreshadowed this tragedy.
The usually quiet neighborhood remained silent. Neighbors describe a discreet young woman, not inclined to rowdy parties. Investigators continue to interview the entourage and clients present that day. No suspect has yet been apprehended, but several leads are being explored.
Femicide, jealousy, or settling of scores?
The Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation for femicide, a legal term used in Mexico to designate the murders of women because of their gender. But other hypotheses are emerging. Some local media suggest the lead of a former partner linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Others point to an assistant visible in the video.
The CJNG is one of the most powerful criminal groups in the country. It controls a large part of the territory of the State of Jalisco and is known for infiltrating social and economic spheres. Three days before Valeria’s assassination, a political candidate, Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez, was shot during a meeting filmed live. This climate of terror fuels speculation and complicates the work of investigators.
Mexico, a minefield for women
Mexico is among the most dangerous countries in the world for women. According to official statistics, ten femicides are recorded every day. Since 2001, more than 50,000 women have been killed, in a context where less than 5% of crimes result in a conviction.
For Paulina Garía-Del Moral, a sociology professor at the University of Ottawa, this situation results from a deeply rooted machismo, coupled with a failing judicial system. "Men feel entitled to dispose of women’s bodies," she explains in an interview with the New York Times. This culture of impunity finds a tragic echo in the death of Valeria Márquez.
Social media, new territories of risk
Influencers have become targets. Their exposure, often calculated to generate an audience, also attracts the attention of criminal groups. According to David Saucedo, a security expert in Mexico, social media has become “a cog in the machinery of organized crime.”
Valeria’s TikTok account was deleted the day after the tragedy. Hundreds of condolence messages poured in, accompanied by shocked fan testimonials. The police are still examining the surveillance footage around the salon and the digital data of the young woman. It remains to be determined if the killer knew the scene was being broadcast live. Or if he acted intentionally in a staged scene meant to send a message.
A youth exposed to unrestrained violence
The murder of Valeria Márquez illustrates a worrying trend: the trivialization of filmed violence. In March 2025, a Japanese streamer was stabbed in the street in Tokyo while live streaming to her followers. Videos become weapons, screens become crime scenes.
This phenomenon raises questions about the safety of young women highly visible on platforms. Their notoriety, far from protecting them, can expose them more to jealousy, threats, or revenge.
An icon despite herself
In a matter of hours, Valeria Márquez went from being a rising influencer to a national symbol of a youth crushed by violence. She does not represent empty glamour. Instead, she is the cruel reflection of the invisible brutality that strikes women in Mexico.
Her death, occurring in the full light of the digital world, indicts a society where impunity is still the rule. And it reminds us that sometimes, behind the screen, reality emerges without warning, in all its rawest violence.