In brief
Mexican influencer César Gastélum, who boasted over 500 000 TikTok followers, was fatally shot while livestreaming outside a fast‑food joint in Culiacán, Sinaloa. Two motorbike riders approached and fired a close‑range shot, leaving the 25‑year‑old dead as the stream continued. Police are combing the scene for cartridge casings and CCTV footage, but the suspects have fled and no arrests have been made yet. The killing marks the second fatal incident involving a popular influencer in Mexico, following the 2025 murder of Valeria Márquez during a live TikTok broadcast.
Mexican influencer César Gastélum was killed during a livestream broadcast in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa.
Gastélum, who enjoyed more than 500,000 followers on TikTok, was filming with two friends outside a fast‑food restaurant in Tres Ríos when two men on a motorbike approached and fired a close‑range shot, killing the 25‑year‑old as the stream continued.
The victim’s bright orange coats and delivery‑driver‑style bags initially misled local police, who thought the scene involved a delivery job, but were later updated after social media posts identified Gastélum’s identity.
Investigators have cordoned off the area and recovered cartridge casings; CCTV footage is being examined to trace the attackers who fled on a motorbike. No arrests have been made so far.
This incident follows a similar tragic event last year when 23‑year‑old Valeria Márquez was shot dead while livestreaming on TikTok. Both killings underscore the heightened risk to social media creators in regions gripped by cartel conflict.
Correction 05 August: This article has been amended to make clear that César Gastélum was livestreaming on an unspecified social media platform when he was shot, and not TikTok as originally reported.
