10 Photos of Valeria Marquez: TikTok Star Executed Live on Camera Adding to Mexico's Femicide Crisis

Valeria Marquez, a 22-year-old TikTok influencer from Mexico, was shot dead in broad daylight while livestreaming to her followers from a beauty salon. The attack took place on Monday, 13 May, in San Pedro Tlaquepaque, Jalisco — a city already haunted by gender-based violence. An unknown gunman entered the salon and opened fire without warning, cutting Valeria's life short in seconds.

The horrifying moment, partly caught on camera, quickly spread across social media. It left her fans heartbroken, women's rights groups outraged, and an already grieving country grappling with another loss in a long line of femicide victims. Despite the swift arrival of emergency services, Valeria was pronounced dead at the scene. So far, no arrests have been made, and the motive behind the killing remains unclear.

Not Just Another Statistic

Mexico has long battled a femicide epidemic — the murder of women simply because they are women. According to government data, around 10 women are killed every day, many with no justice ever served. Valeria's death has now become part of that painful pattern.

What makes her killing even more harrowing is the setting: a beauty salon, during a livestream, in full view of her followers. Valeria isn't the first woman to be attacked on camera. In February 2023, Arely Vázquez, a transgender activist, was gunned down during a Facebook Live broadcast. In another case, schoolteacher Mónica Citlalli Díaz disappeared after a series of worrying online posts. Her body was later found — her death ruled a femicide.

These are not isolated events. They are threads in a bigger, blood-stained tapestry of violence, fear, and silence that continues to engulf women in Mexico.

The Life She Was Building

Valeria was more than just a content creator. Her TikTok was filled with beauty tutorials, fashion tips, and moments of laughter — reflections of a young woman growing into her voice. Her followers called her warm, relatable, and deeply engaging. In the comments of her final video, now frozen in time, there's an outpouring of heartbreak: messages from fans, friends, and strangers who saw themselves in her.

Close friends have since shared that Valeria had spoken privately about feeling unsafe in her neighbourhood — an unease that many women in Jalisco know all too well. While it's still unknown if organised crime played a role in her death, the brazenness of the attack speaks volumes about how little fear her killer had of consequences.

When Violence Goes Viral

There's something especially chilling about a murder playing out live, in real time, for the world to witness. The screen that once connected Valeria to her community became a window into the unthinkable. Her story — once one of creativity and dreams — ended in a livestream watched by thousands.

For many activists, these moments are a gut-punch reminder of how far the violence has escalated. The fact that these crimes are broadcast but rarely solved shows just how broken the system remains. Despite years of protest, awareness campaigns, and promises from leaders, conviction rates for femicide in Mexico remain staggeringly low — fewer than one in four cases are ever prosecuted, according to the National Observatory on Femicide.

A Face, A Name, A Fight

Valeria's death has reignited anger across Mexico. Social media has turned into a digital memorial, with hashtags like #JusticiaParaValeria and #NiUnaMenos trending nationwide. Influencers, women's rights organisations, and everyday citizens are demanding justice — not only for her, but for the countless other women whose names never made headlines.

Valeria was meant to be known for her energy, her creativity, and the connection she built with her audience. Instead, she's become another name on a growing list of women taken too soon — their stories livestreamed, their lives erased.