A well-liked Mexican TikTok influencer has been shot useless by males on a bike close to the northern metropolis of Culiacan whereas he was livestreaming an occasion for his followers.
Culiacan is on the coronary heart of ongoing violence between factions vying for management of town. Mexican media have reported that a minimum of 12 social media influencers have been killed in Culiacan since September 2024.
The most recent incident follows different related killings, together with that of magnificence influencer Valeria Marquez within the western state of Jalisco in Could 2025.
Here’s what we all know to date.
Who was Cesar Gastelum?
Gastelum, 24, was a Mexican social media influencer who created comedy and way of life content material, totally on the social media platform TikTok.
Gastelum’s TikTok account, which final posted a video on Sunday, has greater than 700,000 followers on his TikTok account.
What occurred to him?
Gastelum was filming an everyday livestream for his followers from a KFC automotive park in Tres Rios, Culiacan, northern Mexico, with two of his pals on Tuesday.
At about 8:15pm native time (2:15 am GMT), in the midst of the livestream, Gastelum was shot useless by males who approached on a bike, Mexican media reported.
The three males had been carrying shiny orange garments and carrying supply luggage within the livestream, usually worn by drivers. This reportedly led the police to initially consider that Gastelum was a supply driver.
A video of the second of Gastelum’s demise, seen by information businesses, reveals him laughing with two different males within the automotive park when two males carrying helmets pull up on a motorbike. One is seen pulling out a gun and capturing at Gastelum. The attackers then flee the scene.
The capturing came about near the native prosecutor’s workplace.
The 2 males with Gastelum through the livestream had been unhurt within the assault, native media reported.
What do we all know in regards to the motive for this killing?
Up to now, the authorities haven’t reported any arrests or assigned any motive behind Gastelum’s killing.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum instructed reporters on Wednesday that authorities are investigating the case.
“The precise perpetrators – and, if relevant, the mastermind – should be arrested, and the rationale behind this tragic murder should be uncovered,” she mentioned through the morning information convention.
Mexico’s Federal Safety Cupboard launched a press release on X on Wednesday saying it was analysing varied social media posts by Gastelum. The assertion added that a few of these posts made reference to a faction in a prison group, however didn’t identify the faction or prison group, or present additional particulars.
Moreover, the Safety Cupboard is assessing surveillance digicam footage as a part of the investigation.
The cupboard mentioned that it’s conducting the investigation alongside the legal professional basic’s workplace of the State of Sinaloa.
Sinaloa has suffered a extreme inside turf war between rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel following the July 2024 arrest of cofounder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, which has left an influence vacuum.
In one among Gastelum’s social media posts, he could be seen on the grave of Leobardo Aispuro, or “El Gordo Peruci”, an influencer who was shot useless in December 2024.
Police mentioned his killing could have been linked to violence between warring factions of the Sinaloa cartel.
Produce other related incidents taken place in Mexico?
Aispuro, or “El Gordo Peruci”, was a social media influencer who was shot useless in December 2024. Police mentioned his killing could have been linked to cartel violence.
In Could 2025, Mexican magnificence influencer Valeria Marquez, 23, was shot useless additionally throughout a TikTok livestream on the salon the place she labored in Zapopan, within the western state of Jalisco. A person had entered the salon and opened fireplace, in keeping with prosecutors.
Her demise was investigated underneath Mexico’s femicide protocols.
In July, Mexican authorities introduced the arrest in Jalisco of Ramon Angel Alvarez Ayala, often called “El R-1” whom Safety Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch recognized because the chief of a prison cell linked to the Jalisco New Technology Cartel (CJNG).
Authorities have linked Alvarez Ayala to the killing of Marquez and accused him of ordering and financing the November 2025 homicide of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo.
