Who was Valeria Marquez, the 23-year-old TikToker who was shot dead during a livestream?
Valeria Marquez has been making headlines since she was shot to death in the middle of her livestream on TikTok. She was 23.
According to local outlet Merca 2.0, Marquez is from Jalisco, Mexico. She was a popular model in her country.
Per BBC News, she joined a beauty pageant in 2021 called Miss Rostro (Miss Face), where she ended up clinching the coveted crown.
Marquez later got into content creation, focusing on lifestyle. Aside from sharing tips on beauty, makeup, and personal care, she also loved posting content related to fashion and travel.
She wore another hat as an entrepreneur. The influencer owned a beauty salon called Blossom the Beauty Lounge, which is located in Zapopan in central Mexico. The salon offers beauty services, mostly for the nails, eyelashes, and hair.
Based on her Instagram page, it seems that she also enjoyed luxury vacations—with photos of her on private jets and yachts.
Marquez garnered hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok.
Marquez's last moments before she was killed
Marquez was killed on Tuesday, May 13 in the beauty salon where she worked by a man who entered and shot her, the Jalisco state prosecutor said in a statement. The prosecutor's office did not name a suspect.
Seconds before the incident, Marquez was seen on her TikTok livestream seated at a table clutching a stuffed toy. She was heard saying, "they're coming," before a voice in the background asked "Hey, Vale?"
"Yes," Marquez replied, just before muting the sound on the livestream.
Moments later, she was shot to death. A person appeared to pick up her phone, with their face briefly showing on the livestream before the video ended.
Marquez had said earlier on the livestream that someone came to the salon when she was not there with an "expensive gift" to deliver to her. Marquez, who appeared concerned, said she was not planning to wait for the person to come back.
Her death is being investigated according to protocols for femicide—the killing of women or girls for reasons of gender—the Jalisco state prosecutor said.
Femicide can involve degrading violence, sexual abuse, a relationship with the murderer, or the victim's body being exposed in a public space, according to Mexican authorities. (with reports from Reuters)
