The horrifying death of a Mexican TikToker during a livestream has left many of her followers in shock and examining the details of the incident. The influencer, Valeria Màrquez, was at a salon, streaming live on TikTok, when she was shot dead by a hitman.
The livestream, which has gone viral on social media, showed the 23-year-old speaking to someone off-camera. The male voice was heard saying, “Hey Valeria,” to which the model replied apprehensively before muting the live stream.
Moments later, she was shot in the head and chest, dying on the spot. Almost immediately, a woman’s face popped up on camera, ending the livestream. Although investigations are still ongoing, the Jalisco Police have a theory on the incident. A spokesperson for the state prosecutor’s office disclosed that the killing was premeditated. The representative said that hours before the incident, a masked man pretending to be a delivery driver and another man on a motorcycle came to the salon.
One woman at the store reported that the men claimed to have a “very expensive gift” for Màrquez, which had to be delivered directly to her. On hearing that people were looking for her, the model expressed fear. She said, “Maybe they were going to kill me. Were they going to come and take me away or what? I’m worried.”
The men returned later and asked if it was the model who was now in the salon. Law enforcement deduced that the men didn’t know her, and as such, they were hired assassins. “This person was a person who was paid. It was obviously someone who came with a purpose,” the spokesperson said, per ABC7.
While investigators dig to discover the motive behind the killing, a source linked Márquez’s death to her involvement with cartels. The informant claims the late TikToker dated a cartel leader, Double R, who executed her because she was receiving lavish gifts from her followers.
News of the influencer’s death sparked reactions from Reddit users who sympathized and examined the incident. One wrote, “The look in her eyes… she knew,” and a second user replied, “She was making peace with her maker.”
A third person analyzed the video and poked holes at it. “Who mutes the live stream before getting shot? lol, I don’t want the killers to get caught.” Another observer suggested that the execution was planned, writing, “This was absolutely a setup. The woman grabbing the phone at the end makes it extremely obvious.”
No suspect has been identified at the time of writing this, and investigations are ongoing. RIP Valeria.
