Mexican influencer Cesar Gastelum shot to death during livestream

Mexican social media influencer Cesar Gastelum was ‌shot and killed on ‌Tuesday while livestreaming with friends outside a fast food restaurant in the northwestern city of Culiacan, local authorities said.

Gastelum, who had nearly 600,000 followers ‌on TikTok and was known for comedy videos, was streaming live outside ⁠a fast food restaurant when two people on a motorcycle, both wearing helmets, approached him and his friends. In a recording of the livestream, seen by Reuters, the driver of the motorcycle appeared to fire a gun directly at Gastelum.

A security official in Sinaloa state confirmed ​Gastelum's death and said a significant security operation was underway.

The killing ‌comes amid persistent violence in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa, which has been at the center of a conflict between rival organized crime ⁠factions competing for control.

The shooting also recalled the May 2025 killing of Mexican beauty influencer Valeria Marquez, who was shot to death during a TikTok ​livestream at ‌the salon where she worked in Zapopan, in the western state ‌of Jalisco.

Marquez, 23, was killed after a man entered the salon and opened fire, according to prosecutors. Her death was investigated under femicide protocols. In ‌July, Mexican authorities ‌announced the arrest in Jalisco ⁠of Ramon Angel Alvarez Ayala, known as "El R-1," whom ‌Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch identified as the leader of a criminal cell linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

⁠Authorities have linked Alvarez Ayala to the killing of Marquez ​and accused him of ordering and financing the November 2025 murder of Uruapan mayor Carlos Manzo.

Reuters