Mexican Influencer Cesar Gastelum Killed During Livestream in Culiacan

Crime

Mexican Influencer Cesar Gastelum Killed During Livestream in Culiacan

12 minutes ago

News sources:

REUTERS

INDIATIMES

CBSNEWS

BBC

Mexican Influencer Cesar Gastelum Killed During Livestream in Culiacan

Credited from: BBC

Cesar Gastelum, a 23-year-old TikTok influencer, was shot dead during a livestream in Culiacan, Mexico.
The incident occurred outside a fast food restaurant while he was with friends, dressed as delivery workers.
This highlights the ongoing violence and risks faced by social media influencers in Mexico.

Cesar Gastelum, a popular Mexican social media influencer with nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok, was shot and killed on August 1 while livestreaming outside a fast food restaurant in Culiacan, Sinaloa. The shooting occurred when two individuals on a motorcycle approached and opened fire while Gastelum was broadcasting with friends, reportedly dressed as food delivery workers as part of a challenge. Video from the livestream showed the motorcycle driver shooting at Gastelum directly, according to Reuters and India Times.

The brutal attack took place amid escalating violence in Culiacan, a city plagued by conflicts between rival drug cartels. Local authorities confirmed Gastelum's death and noted that no arrests had been made at the time, with investigations ongoing into the motivation behind the attack. This incident draws parallels to previous cases where influencers have been targeted, including the murder of Mexican beauty influencer Valeria Marquez in May 2025 during a livestream at her workplace, underlining a troubling pattern of violence against social media figures in Mexico, as reported by CBS News and BBC.

Reuters, CBS News, and BBC.