Mexican influencer shot dead during live stream

A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. — File photo by Associated Press

A Mexican social media influencer was shot dead during a live stream on TikTok, where she had tens of thousands of followers, authorities said Wednesday.

The Mexican press named her as Valeria Marquez, 23, who posted videos related to beauty and lifestyle, some of which had hundreds of thousands of views.

She was killed on Tuesday evening at her beauty salon in Zapopan, a suburb of the western city of Guadalajara, the Jalisco state prosecutor’s office reported.

“The victim is someone with an active presence and influence on social media,” it said in a statement.

“A man entered the premises and apparently fired a gun at her,” it added.

The motive of the attack was not immediately known.

The region is a hotbed of criminal activity, home to one of Mexico’s most violent drug trafficking groups, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

So far, however, investigators have found no evidence that a criminal group was behind the shooting, state security coordinator Roberto Alarcon told reporters.

Zapopan mayor Juan Jose Frangie said that his office has no record of Marquez requesting help from authorities because of threats against her.

“It’s incredible that you’re making a video and then you’re murdered. A femicide is the worst thing,” Frangie said.

According to media reports, Marquez was killed by a man pretending to bring her a gift.

The United Nations says that around 10 women or girls are murdered every day in Mexico, where criminal and gender-related violence is rampant. /das