Valeria Márquez: Who was Mexican influencer killed live on TikTok?

When a 23-year-old Mexican influencer was shot dead while live streaming on TikTok, rumours began to swirl. Was it a cartel hit? Or another tragic example of violence against women?

On Tuesday, Valeria Márquez was shot dead at Blossom The Beauty Lounge, a beauty salon owned by the victim in Zapopan, a town in the central-eastern state of Jalisco.

The state prosecutor's office said it was investigating the crime as a femicide, meaning that it believes the crime was motivated by the fact the victim was a woman.

The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, said an investigation was under way: "We're working to catch those responsible and find out why this happened."

But the fact that the crime took place in Jalisco, the state where the feared Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) emerged, led to speculation by some that the cartel may somehow be involved.

Ms Márquez was a Mexican model who began to make a name for herself in 2021 after winning the Miss Rostro (Miss Face) beauty pageant, according to Mexican media reports.

Shortly thereafter, she began creating content on social media. She would share make-up tips and personal care routines, talk about fashion and show off her travels.

Photos of her on private jets and yachts can be seen on her Instagram , which had more than 223,000 followers at the time of her death.

Ms Márquez also had another 100,000 followers on TikTok.

Although it is unclear exactly what happened, during her final livestream, Ms Márquez said she was waiting for a courier she knew to deliver a gift.

She added that she was a bit worried, because her friend could not see the courier's face when he arrived.

"Why didn't he just drop it off (the gift)? Were they going to pick me up (kidnap me) or what":[]}