Mystery of influencer shot dead on livestream deepens
Valeria Márquez was just 23 years old - a rising influencer with a love for makeup, fashion and travelling. She updated her followers through livestreams, letting them into her world. On this day, she was smiling on live, excited for a courier to bring her a gift.
She'd joked about it. Speculated. But beneath the laughs, it was clear: something felt off. Still, no one could've imagined what would happen next. It was then that Valeria was gunned down in cold blood - live on camera.
Valeria was known for her glamorous lifestyle, having carved out a name for herself on social media. Still only in her early twenties, she already owned her own salon while chasing bigger dreams through a ring light. She was right on the cusp of something greater.
She often shared photos on Instagram aboard private jets and yachts. At the time of her death, she had more than 223,000 followers on Instagram and another 100,000 on TikTok. But just like that, her dreams were stolen from her.
Everything changed on May 13, 2025. She was livestreaming from her beauty salon in Zapopan, a town in the central-eastern state of Jalisco. She was waiting for a gift to arrive, but she'd already mentioned feeling uneasy. Her friend couldn't see the courier's face when he showed up. It was believed to be concealed.
She voiced her fear: 'Why didn't he just drop it off? Maybe they were going to kill me. Were they going to come and take me away, or what?'
She was holding another gift - a pink stuffed animal when the delivery driver asked for her by name. It left a lingering doubt in her head. However, hours before, a man had posed as a delivery driver, claiming to have a 'very expensive' gift for her.
Valeria looked away from the camera. Then she grabbed her chest and stomach before collapsing. A gunman had burst into her salon and shot her dead - all while the livestream continued.
Another woman took her phone and ended the stream.
The chilling footage was screen recorded and has since circulated online, showing Valeria laughing and chatting before a bullet silenced everything. Her life ended on screen, leaving her followers — and the world in shock.
Mexican authorities later confirmed Valeria had no links to criminal activity, sparking deeper questions about the motive and whether she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But while many questions linger, some things have become clearer. The shooter didn't know her personally - he had to confirm who she was before pulling the trigger.
Denis Rodríguez, a spokesperson for the JSPO, said, 'It appears he didn't know her. With that, you can deduce - without jumping to conclusions - that this was a person who was paid… obviously someone who came with a purpose.'
The salon's location adds even more weight to the theory. Despite the private security and clean appearance, it's in one of the most violent areas of Jalisco, a state heavily affected by cartel activity.
In fact, just 50km away, a cartel training centre was found in March. And in Jalisco alone, more than 15,000 people have disappeared since 2018. The same day Valeria was killed, former congressman Luis Armando Córdoba Díaz was murdered just two kilometres away, according to the newspaper Reforma. Authorities are investigating whether the two deaths are connected.
Some media outlets have shared messages suggesting Valeria previously blamed her ex and feared for her safety. But Juan José Frangie, the mayor, claimed there were no official reports from her about threats. 'A femicide is the worst thing,' he added.
While the speculation continues, there are questions that still need answers. Why was she targeted? Who could do such a thing?
Valeria Márquez died with her smile still on screen, gunned down in her own salon, in the middle of doing what she loved - chasing a future that was so close to being hers.
She should've gone viral for anything else but not for her murder.
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