Influencer Shot Dead in the Head During Live Stream
César Gastélum, a Mexican influencer with over half a million followers, was killed on Tuesday night outside a fast-food restaurant in Culiacán.
César Gastélum, a Mexican influencer with over half a million followers, was killed on Tuesday night outside a fast-food restaurant in Culiacán.
Mexican influencer César Gastélum was killed on Tuesday night during a live TikTok stream, according to the BBC. As he stood with two friends outside a fast-food restaurant in the Tres Ríos neighborhood of the northern city of Culiacán, two men on a motorcycle approached them. One of the attackers shot Gastélum in the head at point-blank range.
Gastélum and his friends were wearing bright orange jackets and bags similar to those used by delivery drivers, which initially led police to believe the victim was a delivery person. A subsequent investigation revealed that he was a popular influencer. The perpetrators fled the scene, and no arrests have been made so far.
Extremely disturbing footage of the act itself has circulated on social media, showing a man shooting Gastélum in the head. The crime scene has been cordoned off by police and forensic teams, who are now examining shell casings and surveillance camera footage to find evidence that could lead them to the perpetrators.
It is unclear whether Gastélum, who had over 500,000 followers on TikTok and primarily shared comedic content, had received any threats. On his Instagram profile, he often shared photos from trips, nights out, or posing in front of luxury cars.
In one of his posts, Gastélum could be seen at the grave of Leobardo Aispuro, an influencer known by the nickname "El Gordo Peruci." Aispuro lost his life in December 2024, and according to police information, his death may have been the result of a conflict between two rival factions within the Sinaloa cartel.
This is not the first time an influencer has been killed during a live stream in Mexico. Last year, 23-year-old Valeria Márquez was fatally shot in a beauty salon while broadcasting live on TikTok. These events raise serious questions about the safety of content creators in a country facing high levels of organized crime-related violence.
