Mexican TikTok influencer shot dead during livestream

Mexican influencer César Gastélum was shot dead on Tuesday while live streaming in front of a fast-food restaurant in the northwestern Mexican city of Culiacán, according to local and federal authorities.

Gastélum, who had over 600,000 followers on TikTok, was shot after being approached by two helmeted people on a motorcycle, according to footage seen by Reuters. A security official from the state of Sinaloa confirmed Gastélum’s death to Reuters and stated that a major security operation was underway. On Wednesday, Mexico’s Federal Security Cabinet said that authorities are investigation whether the attack on Gastélum may have been related to “various posts” on social media “in some of which (Gastélum) made reference to a faction of a criminal group.” Federal authorities, together with the Sinaloa Prosecutor’s Office, are analyzing “surveillance cameras and other evidence to identify and apprehend those responsible,” the Security Cabinet added. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized on Wednesday that authorities are investigating the incident to identify those responsible. “The actual perpetrators — and, if applicable, the mastermind — must be arrested, and the reason behind this tragic homicide must be uncovered,” Sheinbaum said during her morning press conference.Culiacán and other cities in Sinaloa have struggled with organized crime recently. According to a recent report by the non-governmental organization International Crisis Group, Los Mayos and Los Chapitos, both factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, have been clashing since September 2024 to gain ground in Sinaloa’s main cities — Culiacán and Mazatlán — as well as in other parts of the state.