Valeria Márquez, a 23-year-old beauty influencer from Mexico, was tragically killed during a live broadcast on TikTok from her workplace, a salon in Zapopan, Mexico. Márquez, who had a following of 113,000 on the social media platform, was in the middle of her livestream when the fatal incident occurred.
During the livestream, Márquez was seen unwrapping a gift that had been delivered to her at the salon. The gift was a stuffed piglet toy, which she excitedly showed to her viewers. Moments later, Márquez was seen looking past the camera, and was heard saying, “They’re coming,” followed by a voice asking for her. She responded affirmatively and then muted her stream.
In the horrifying moments that followed, Márquez was shot multiple times, with bullets striking her in the chest and head, resulting in her immediate death. The livestream continued until another woman in the salon picked up the phone and ended the broadcast.
According to Denis Rodríguez, a spokesperson for the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office, two men on motorcycles approached the salon. One of them, wearing a mask, entered the salon and asked for Márquez. Upon confirming her identity, the masked man shot her and fled the scene on his motorcycle.
The Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the incident as a femicide, a term used to describe the intentional murder of women and girls. Rodríguez stated that Márquez likely did not know her attacker, describing him as “simply her executioner.” He also revealed that the two men had visited the salon earlier in the day, informing employees that they had a “gift” for Márquez.
Márquez had mentioned during her livestream that someone had visited the salon while she was absent, claiming to have an “expensive gift” for her. This detail, as reported by Reuters, suggested that Márquez may have been concerned about the unexpected gift.