Photo: @v___marquez/Instagram
Influencer Valeria Marquez has died at the age of 23 following a shooting that took place during her TikTok livestream on Tuesday (May 13).
Marquez, of Jalisco, Mexico, was shot in the chest and head at her Blossom the Beauty Lounge salon by a man pretending to deliver a gift. The gunman pulled up outside the salon on a motorbike and opened fire mid-livestream.
Marquez's followers who witnessed the horrifying incident described seeing the influencer clutch her ribcage just prior to collapsing on the floor. The gunman reportedly entered the salon and fired another round before fleeing the scene.
Marquez, who had shared a selfie taken at the salon on her Instagram Story hours before the shooting, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police are still working to track down the gunman responsible for Marquez's death. A motive has not yet been determined by investigators.
Marquez was seen on the livestream saying, "they're coming" before a voice off screen said, "hey, Vale?" to which she replied, "yes," and muted the video, at which point the suspect opened fire. Jalisco is considered to be a hotbed for criminal activity as the home of one of Mexico's most violent drug trafficking groups, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Marquez amassed a large following on social media, posting videos related to beauty and lifestyle, with several gaining hundreds of thousands of views.
"The victim is someone with an active presence and influence on social media," the Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office said in a statement translated by CBS News. "A man entered the premises and apparently fired a gun at her."