Mexican authorities confirmed on Wednesday (August 5) that Cesar Gastelum, a TikTok influencer with 600,000 followers, was fatally shot while livestreaming with friends in Culiacan, northwest Mexico, on Tuesday (August 4).
A video from the livestream reviewed by Reuters showed two individuals on a motorcycle shooting at Gastelum as he was livestreaming outside a fast-food restaurant. Officials in Sinaloa, Mexico confirmed Gastelum’s death and stated that a large-scale security operation is underway.
On Wednesday, Mexico’s federal security cabinet stated that they are investigating whether Gastelum’s assassination is linked to “several posts” he made on social media, as “some posts mentioned a certain criminal group faction.” Authorities are analyzing surveillance footage and other evidence to identify and apprehend the suspects.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized that authorities are investigating the incident to confirm the suspects’ identities. She assured the public that they will determine the motives behind the murder and arrest the real perpetrators, including those orchestrating the crime.
Culiacan is the capital of Sinaloa. Over the past two years, the region has been engulfed in violent conflicts due to power struggles within major drug cartels.
This marks the second incident in over a year where a Mexican influencer was killed while livestreaming. In May 2025, Valeria Marquez, a beauty influencer in Mexico, was also fatally shot during a TikTok livestream at a beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco.
Prosecutors stated that the 23-year-old Marquez was shot by a man who entered the salon, and the case is being investigated as “femicide.”
In July this year, Mexican authorities announced the arrest of Ramon Angel Alvarez Ayala in Jalisco. Ayala is charged in connection to Marquez’s murder and is suspected of financing and planning the assassination of Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan in November 2025.
Authorities revealed that Ayala’s son Francisco had a romantic dispute with Marquez, faced threats multiple times, and allegedly requested his father to murder her. Authorities are currently pursuing the fugitive Francisco.