A young Mexican social media influencer known for her beauty and makeup videos was fatally murdered on a TikTok broadcast, in an act that shocked a country plagued by gender-based violence.
Valeria Marquez’s death, at the age of 23, is being examined under femicide protocols, which refer to the killing of women or girls for gender grounds, according to a statement made on Tuesday evening by the Jalisco state prosecutor.
According to Mexican police, femicides can involve demeaning brutality, sexual abuse, a relationship with the murderer, or the victim’s body being exposed in public.
Marquez was shot and died on Tuesday in the beauty salon where she worked in Zapopan, according to a statement. The prosecutor’s office has not named a suspect.
Marquez was seen on her TikTok livestream seconds before the incident, sitting at a table and cradling a teddy animal. She said, “They’re coming,” before a voice in the background said, “Hey, Vale?”
“Yes,” Marquez said, immediately before muting the sound on the broadcast.
She was fatally shot moments afterward. A person appeared to pick up her phone, and their face was momentarily visible on the livestream before the video ended.
Marquez, who has nearly 200,000 Instagram and TikTok followers, had stated on the livestream that someone came to the salon when she was not present with a “expensive gift” to bring to her. Marquez, who appeared anxious, stated that she was not going to wait for the individual to come back.
