Mexican social media influencer shot dead while livestreaming

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Mexican social media influencer, César Gastélum, has been shot dead while livestreaming outside a fast food restaurant in the northern city of Culiacán.

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Accorrding to BBC on Wednesday, Gastélum was filming with two friends in the Tres Ríos area on Tuesday evening when two men riding a motorcycle approached them and one of the assailants shot him at a close range.

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The influencer, who had more than 500,000 followers on TikTok, was known for sharing comedy videos on the platform.

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According to local media reports, Gastélum and his friends were wearing bright orange jackets and bags commonly used by delivery riders, initially leading police to believe the victim was a delivery worker before his identity was confirmed.

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Security operatives and forensic experts later cordoned off the scene and began examining spent cartridge casings and CCTV footage as part of the investigation.

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The attackers fled the scene on the motorcycle, and no arrests had been made as of the time of filing this report.

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Authorities have not disclosed whether Gastélum had received any threats before the attack.

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On his Instagram page, Gastélum frequently shared photos of his travels, social outings and luxury cars.

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One of his posts also showed him at the graveside of fellow influencer Leobardo Aispuro, popularly known as “El Gordo Peruci,” who was shot dead in December 2024 in a killing police believed may have been linked to the rivalry between two factions of the Sinaloa cartel.

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Gastélum’s death is the latest in a string of attacks on social media personalities in Mexico.

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In 2025, 23-year-old influencer Valeria Márquez was also shot dead while livestreaming from a beauty salon on TikTok.

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The killing comes amid escalating violence in Sinaloa State, where clashes between the rival Los Chapitos and La Mayiza factions of the Sinaloa cartel have intensified since September 2024.

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