Kenya, May 16 -- Valeria Marquez, a 23-year-old beauty influencer from Mexico, was tragically shot and killed on Tuesday, May 13, while she was live-streaming from her salon, Blossom The Beauty Lounge, in Zapopan, Jalisco. She had nearly 200,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram.
The shocking event was seen by many online and has caused a lot of anger and questions about why this happened. Authorities are investigating her death as a femicide, which means a woman was killed because of her gender.
According to the Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office, Valeria was sitting in her salon, holding a pink stuffed pig toy, when a man on a motorcycle came in.
Just before the shooting, she said on the livestream, "They're coming," and then confirmed her name when someone off-screen asked, "Hey, Vale?" She muted the livestream for a moment, but seconds later, she was shot in the chest and head and fell down immediately.
An unknown woman picked up the phone after the shooting and appeared briefly on camera before the livestream ended.
Earlier that day, a masked man who pretended to be a delivery driver came to the salon with another person on a motorcycle.
They said they had an "expensive gift" for Valeria. During her livestream, Valeria seemed worried, saying, "Dude, they might've been about to kill me," and said she would not stay there anymore.
When the men came back, one of them asked if Valeria was there, which led the police to think the attack was planned and possibly carried out by someone hired to do it.
The investigation is being handled as a femicide since it involves a woman being killed because she is a woman. But the reason for her death is still not clear, and no suspects have been identified. Authorities are looking at security camera footage and Valeria's social media to find clues.
There are many theories online, with some people pointing out Mexico's high rates of violence against women-about 10 women are murdered every day, according to the United Nations.
Others wonder if organized crime is involved since Jalisco is known for having the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. However, a local official, Roberto Alarcon, said there is no evidence connecting the shooting to criminal groups.
Reports from Mexican media say that Valeria had previously sent messages saying she would blame an ex-partner if anything happened to her. However, the mayor of Zapopan, Juan Jose Frangie, said there is no record of her asking for help from the police about any threats.
Some sources claim a friend named Vivian and a salon worker might have been involved in her death, but the Jalisco Prosecutor's Office said no one has been accused directly, and they are still looking into all leads.
President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her support for Valeria's family and said that her government is working with local investigators to find out who is responsible.
Valeria's murder is the eighth reported femicide in Jalisco this month. This incident has brought back discussions about violence against women in Mexico, a country that has high rates of femicide, with 1.3 deaths per 100,000 women in 2023.
Valeria became famous after winning a beauty pageant called Miss Rostro in 2021. Her death follows another recent high-profile killing, where a mayoral candidate in Veracruz was shot dead during a Facebook livestream, highlighting the ongoing violence in the area.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.