Mexican Influencer Cesar Gastelum is Shot Dead During TikTok Livestream in Culiacan
Mexican social media influencer Cesar Gastelum was shot and killed on Tuesday while livestreaming with friends outside a fast-food restaurant in the city of Culiacan. Gastelum, who had nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok and was known for comedy videos, was struck at point-blank range by a motorcycle driver who pulled out a gun and fired. Local authorities described the incident as a targeted attack and are conducting a full investigation to identify the perpetrators. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that the perpetrators must be arrested and the reason behind the homicide must be uncovered. Investigators are currently reviewing Gastelum's online posts, which reportedly alluded to a criminal organization, and analyzing surveillance footage. The killing occurs amid persistent cartel violence in Sinaloa state, where rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel have been battling for control of the city. This incident follows other high-profile influencer murders, including the 2025 killing of Valeria Marquez in Jalisco state.
Sources
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Mexican influencer shot dead during TikTok livestream
Al Jazeera
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Mexican TikTok influencer shot dead during live stream
CNN
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Mexican social media influencer shot and killed mid-livestream video
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
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Mexican influencer shot dead while streaming live on social media
The Guardian