In brief
In Culiacán, a city in the state of Sinaloa, Mexican influencer César Gastélum was shot dead while livestreaming outside a fast‑food restaurant. He had more than half a million followers on TikTok and frequently posted comedic content. The incident follows a pattern of violence against social media personalities, with another influencer, Valeria Márquez, killed last year on a livestream. Police are examining evidence and searching for the two men who fled on a motorbike, but no arrests have yet been made. The attack is taking place amid heightened conflict between rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel.
On Tuesday evening, influencer César Gastélum was shot dead while livestreaming on an unspecified social‑media platform outside a fast‑food restaurant in Tres Ríos, a suburb of Culiacán, the capital of the state of Sinaloa.
Gaztelum was filming with two friends in bright orange coats, typical of delivery drivers, when two men on a motorbike approached and one fired a single shot at close range. The victim, who had more than 500,000 TikTok followers, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police cordoned off the area and are examining cartridge casings and CCTV footage, but the attackers, who fled on the motorbike, have not been identified or arrested yet. Authorities are investigating whether the shooting was linked to threats received by Gaztelum or to broader cartel tensions.
The incident follows the murder of 23‑year‑old Valeria Márquez last year, who was shot while livestreaming on TikTok at a beauty salon. Both cases raise concerns about the safety of public figures in a region plagued by violent drug‑cartel activity.
Culiacán has experienced escalating violence since the conflict between the Los Chapitos and La Mayiza factions of the Sinaloa cartel intensified in September 2024, a feud that has resulted in multiple high‑profile killings, including the death of “El Gordo Peruci” Aispuro in December 2024.
The assault on Gaztelum is part of a broader pattern of violent incidents targeting social‑media personalities in Mexico, prompting questions about the risks faced by influencers who bring attention to crime and violence in their communities.
