Who was Valeria Márquez? What to know about TikTok influencer killed while livestreaming
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TikTok influencer Valeria Marquez shot while livestreaming in Mexico
A man fatally shot a 23-year-old Mexican TikTok influencer, Valeria Marquez, while she was livestreaming.
Valeria Márquez, an influencer who was fatally shot in Mexico, made a name for herself on social media.
Though the 23-year-old was best known for making aspirational beauty and lifestyle content online, she was also the owner of Blossom the Beauty Lounge, a budding salon in Zapopan, a city located in the western Mexican state of Jalisco.
The influencer was shot and killed on May 13 at her salon by an unknown assailant while she was livestreaming on TikTok.
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, the President of Mexico, confirmed an investigation into Márquez's death was underway, telling a pool of reporters at a May 15 press conference that the federal government and authorities in Jalisco were actively working to find those responsible and uncover a motive.
The beauty parlor, an avid proponent of self-care, was open from August 2024 up until Márquez's murder.
From massages to hair extensions, Blossom the Beauty Lounge offered a range of services to its clientele. Márquez also created content to promote her business, filming various videos of the customers and the establishment since it opened.
"There is no better treatment than the time you dedicate to yourself" was the slogan associated with Márquez's business.
Here's what to know about Valeria Márquez.
Who was Valeria Márquez?
Márquez was a model, influencer and entrepreneur.
Márquez, originally from Guadalajara, amassed a following from sharing beauty and lifestyle content on both TikTok and Instagram. But her winning Miss Rostro, a regional beauty pageant, in 2021 is what kicked her career as an influencer into high gear.
What made her stand out from the crowded space was her authenticity and how close she was to her followers, with whom she shared personal experiences and advice. She also shared photos of her outfits, various travels and from photoshoots on her personal Instagram account, which has over 380,000 followers.
What happened to Valeria Márquez?
An unidentified male approached Márquez while she was broadcasting live on TikTok from her salon. The exchange, heard on TikTok, began around 6:30 p.m.
The assailant asked for Márquez by name and shot her in the chest and head after confirming her identity. He fled the salon on a motorcycle, according to reports from local outlets. The broadcast was interrupted by one of Márquez's friends, who was also in the salon.
Hours before the shooting, Márquez told her followers she was concerned about suspicious packages and unnerving messages, telling them she wanted to get out of there.
The Jalisco Attorney General's Office is currently investigating Márquez's death as a femicide, an intentional killing with a gender-related motivation. Márquez's remains were reportedly identified and released to her family.
The family held a service for Márquez in Guadalajara on May 14, the day after she was fatally shot in her salon.
"Femicide is driven by discrimination against women and girls, unequal power relations, gender stereotypes or harmful social norms," according to UN Women. "It is the most extreme and brutal manifestation of violence against women and girls which occurs on a continuum of multiple and related forms of violence..."
The agency also clarified on May 14 that there is no evidence, at least in this stage of the investigation, that points to any one person despite public speculation.
Any statements or allegations made related to Márquez's death, whether on social media or in the press, will be "processed and analyzed," officials said. Additional details about the case were not immediately available.
Contributing: Saleen Martin and Boris Q'va, USA TODAY
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