Violence against women in Mexico once again took another life, this time in an act that has shaken thousands of people on social networks. Valeria Márquez, an influencer, model and entrepreneur originally from Guadalajara, was shot to death inside her beauty salon while she was doing a live broadcast on TikTok. She was only 23 years old.
The crime occurred on Tuesday, May 13 at the beauty salon she founded, “Blossom The Beauty Lounge”, located in Zapopan, Jalisco. According to official reports, an armed man entered the establishment, asked directly for Valeria and, after confirming her identity, shot her in the skull and chest. The attacker fled the scene aboard a motorcycle. Authorities have initiated an investigation under the femicide protocol.
The scene was witnessed by dozens of followers connected in real time, who were stunned as they watched their favorite content creator fall in front of the camera. At first, many thought it was a joke or montage, not imagining that they were watching the murder of a young woman who had built a career based on beauty, effort and closeness with her audience.
Hours before the attack, Valeria had already reported suspicious behavior. In one story, she commented with nervous humor that perhaps someone wanted to kill her, after a strange encounter with a supposed delivery man who insisted on delivering a package to her personally. Other individuals also entered the salon that day for no clear reason, which today, with the pain of the events, takes on new meaning.
A mirror of a violence that does not cease
Valeria’s death is not an isolated case. According to figures from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System, Mexico has an average of more than 10 murders of women per day. Many of these cases are classified as femicides, that is, crimes committed for gender-related reasons.
The alarming thing is that, with the rise of social networks, more and more women influencers and content creators are becoming targets of violence. Being a public figure today does not guarantee protection, on the contrary: it can further expose women to threats, harassment or attacks. Valeria’s case reminds us that no amount of followers can shield a woman in an environment that still fails to guarantee the most basic thing: her right to live.
What’s next?
Beyond the media impact, this crime demands a deep reflection: What are we doing as a society to stop this wave of violence? Why do we continue to normalize harassment and threats against women online and offline? And above all: why are so many women afraid to simply exist?
Valeria Marquez’s life, with all its brightness, dreams and digital community, was brutally taken away. But her story cannot remain just another note in the news section. Her murder must be a turning point, one more reason to demand that the authorities act quickly, that justice be guaranteed, and that real conditions be created for the safety of women, whether they are public figures or not.
Today, while her family and followers mourn her, Mexican society has an urgent debt: not to allow her name to be lost among statistics or her case to go unpunished.