Mexican influencer shot dead while livestreaming
César Gastelum, who had more than 600,000 TikTok followers, was gunned down outside a fast-food restaurant in Culiacan.
Mexican social media influencer César Gastelum has been shot dead outside a fast-food restaurant in the city of Culiacan, in the state of Sinaloa.
Security officials said several armed men deliberately opened fire on Gastelum. At the time, he was outside the restaurant with two other men dressed as food delivery riders when two men on a motorcycle approached and fired at him.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said an investigation was under way to detain those responsible and to establish the motive.
Gastelum had more than 600,000 followers on TikTok and also posted on Kick and other platforms, mainly humorous content about daily life and food in Sinaloa.
Mexico's security cabinet said investigators were also examining whether the killing was linked to content Gastelum shared. In some of his posts, he was alleged to have referred to "a faction within a criminal organisation", according to a cabinet statement on the social media platform X, which gave no further details.
Sinaloa and cartel conflict
Sinaloa, in northwestern Mexico, is the home state of some of the country's most powerful drug cartel leaders. Two rival factions within the Sinaloa cartel are currently locked in a bloody conflict in the state.
Media reports say at least nine influencers have been killed in the state since 2024.
In May 2025, 23-year-old influencer Valeria Marquez was shot dead while livestreaming on TikTok at her beauty salon in the western state of Jalisco. Authorities are investigating that case as a gender-based killing of a woman.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.