 "Who was Valeria Marquez, Mexican influencer shot dead during TikTok livestream?")
Mexican model and social media influencer Valeria Marquez was shot dead while livestreaming on TikTok after a gunman on a motorbike opened fire at the salon she was in.
Visuals from the attack in Mexico’s Jalisco showed Valeria briefly looking out of the window before she was hit, once in the chest and twice in the head.
Paramedics arrived quickly at the scene, but Valeria was declared dead on the spot.
ALSO READ | Freed from Hamas, drugged & raped by fitness influencer: The harrowing tale of ex-Israeli hostage
Since the incident, her social media pages have been filled with messages of grief and disbelief.
Who was Valeria Marquez? How was she killed, and what do we know about the person who shot her? Here’s what we know so far.
Let’s take a look:
Who was Valeria Márquez?
She was a 23-year-old social media influencer, known for sharing beauty and makeup content online.
At the time of her death, she had 149,000 followers on Instagram and more than 114,000 on TikTok. Many of her followers left messages of shock and sadness in the comments of her recent posts, according to People Magazine.
She was shot while livestreaming from her beauty salon, Blossom the Beauty Lounge, located in the western Mexican state of Jalisco.
In the video, Valeria is seen smiling and glancing out of the window before being shot once in the chest and twice in the head.
She seemed to be speaking to a delivery person off-camera when she was suddenly shot. She collapsed and died on the spot.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe attack took place inside a salon in Zapopan, a municipality on the outskirts of Guadalajara.
Police have launched an investigation and sealed off the salon. A search is currently underway to find the person responsible.
Moments before she was shot dead
Just before the shooting, Valeria was seen on her TikTok livestream sitting at a table, holding a stuffed toy. She was heard saying, “they’re coming,” followed by a voice in the background calling out, “Hey, Vale?”
“Yes,” she responded, before muting the livestream’s sound.
Moments later, she was shot and killed. Someone then picked up her phone, and their face was briefly visible on the livestream before it ended.
Earlier during the same livestream, Valeria mentioned that someone had come to the salon when she was not there and tried to deliver an “expensive gift.”
She said she was not planning to wait for the person to return, and appeared uneasy about the situation.
Who shot Valeria Márquez? Who is Ricardo Ruiz Velazco?
Prosecutors in Jalisco are still investigating the killing. The area is known to be under the strong influence of the Jalisco Nueva Generacion Cartel (CJNG).
Local media outlet Milenio, quoting sources, reported that Ricardo Ruiz Velazco, also known by the names ‘El Doble RR’, ‘RR’, or ‘El Tripa’, may be connected to Marquez’s killing.
According to the report, Velazco was in a relationship with Marquez for several months and was reportedly angry over the expensive gifts she received from her fans.
Mexican beauty influencer Valeria Marquez, 23, was fatally shot during a livestream at her beauty salon in Puerto Vallarta.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) May 14, 2025
A man on a motorbike entered, posing as a delivery rider, and shot her once in the chest and twice in the head. Police have not yet determined a motive.… pic.twitter.com/yuOUHyx55s
Authorities have not commented on the report, and it remains unclear whether Velazco has been arrested.
Milenio also reported that Velazco is a leader of an armed group linked to the CJNG.
State officials have said they are treating Marquez’s death as a possible case of femicide, a type of gender-based killing where women are targeted because of their gender.
According to Mexican authorities, femicide can include acts involving extreme violence, sexual assault, a connection between the victim and the killer, or cases where the victim’s body is left in a public place.
According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico is tied with Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia for having the fourth-highest femicide rate in the region, with 1.3 deaths per 100,000 women in 2023.
Jalisco ranks sixth among Mexico’s 32 states, including Mexico City, in terms of homicides, with 906 cases recorded since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October 2024, according to TResearch.
Rights groups have criticised Mexico’s broader response to homicides. Human Rights Watch Americas Director Juanita Goebertus told CNN that one of the key problems is the lack of capacity among authorities to investigate cases properly and protect both victims and witnesses.
With inputs from agencies
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
