An investigation into the death of influencer Valeria Márquez, who was fatally shot during a TikTok livestream, is ongoing.
News broke earlier this month that the 23-year-old influencer died inside a salon, with users taking to her Instagram to share their condolences.
“I had the opportunity to meet her in person, a person with a very beautiful energy,” one user wrote via Instagram, translated to English. “[I] am still in shock, [I] can’t believe I will never see her [livestream] again.”
Scroll down for everything to know about the investigation into Márquez’s death:
Márquez was killed on May 13 while she was on a livestream. AP News reported that the influencer was handed a stuffed animal and a bag of Starbucks coffee before she was shot and collapsed on camera. The TikTok appeared to be taken down following her death, but a video of the incident was shared online and confirmed by the prosecutor’s office.
What Has the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office Said About the Investigation?Denis Rodríguez, a spokesperson for the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office, told AP News that a man posing as a delivery driver and another man on a motorcycle arrived at the Mexican salon in search of Márquez. The men were looking to deliver a gift to her in person, which led her to express feelings of worry on the livestream.
“Maybe they were going to kill me,” Márquez said in the video, per the outlet. “Were they going to come and take me away, or what? I’m worried.”
When the men returned, they asked for Márquez again — which Rodríguez told the outlet led prosecutors to believe that they were hired assassins.
“The aggressor arrived asking if the victim was there. So it appears he didn’t know her,” Rodríguez said. “With that, you can deduce — without jumping to conclusions — that this was a person who was paid. It was obviously someone who came with a purpose.”
The prosecutor’s office previously told The New York Times that the incident was being investigated as a potential femicide, meaning when a woman is presumed to be killed due to her gender.
What Has the Mexican President Said About the Investigation?AP News reported that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration is working with local investigators to locate the killer. She also extended her condolences to Márquez’s family.
