Mexican influencer César Gastélum was shot dead while livestreaming on TikTok. The incident occurred in the Tres Ríos neighborhood of the northern city of Culiacán. Gastélum was filming with two friends outside a fast food restaurant when two men on a motorbike approached him and one shot him at close range.
Gastélum had more than half a million followers on TikTok, where he mainly posted comedy videos. This is not the first time a social media influencer has been killed in Mexico. Last year, 23-year-old Valeria Márquez was shot dead at a beauty salon while livestreaming on TikTok.
On the livestream, Gastélum and his friends were wearing bright orange coats and bags typically used by delivery drivers. Local media reported that their outfits initially led police to believe the victim was a delivery driver, but they later identified him. Police and forensic experts have cordoned off the area and are examining cartridge casings and CCTV footage.
No arrests have been made so far, and the two people on the motorbike fled the scene. There is no information about any threats against Gastélum. His Instagram account often featured pictures of travels, nightclubs, and luxury cars. In one post, he was seen at the grave of Leobardo Aispuro, an influencer known as "El Gordo Peruci". Aispuro was shot dead in December 2024, in a killing police linked to the rivalry between two factions of the Sinaloa cartel. Violence in the state of Sinaloa, of which Culiacán is the capital, has spiked since the conflict between Los Chapitos and La Mayiza began in September 2024.