MEXICAN INFLUENCER SHOT DEAD WHILE LIVESTREAMING OUTSIDE CULIACÁN RESTAURANT. (PHOTO).

 Mexican Influencer Shot Dead While Livestreaming Outside Culiacán Restaurant

A popular Mexican influencer was shot dead while doing a live stream on social media outside a restaurant in Sinaloa state.

César Gastélum, who had nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok and was known for comedy videos, was filming with two friends outside a fast-food restaurant in the city of Culiacán.

The three friends were dressed in the bright orange jackets and backpacks typically worn by food delivery drivers.

A motorcycle with a driver and pillion rider suddenly pulled up beside them and the driver pulled out a gun and shot Gastélum at point-blank range.

A security official in Sinaloa confirmed Gastélum’s death to Reuters and said a major security operation was under way.

The killing is the latest example of bloodshed in Culiacán, which has become an epicenter of violence as factions of the Sinaloa cartel battle for control of the city.

Mexico’s security cabinet wrote on X that it was investigating several of Gastélum’s posts, “some of which referred to a faction of a criminal group.” It also said video surveillance footage and other evidence were being analyzed to identify and apprehend those responsible.

Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said on Wednesday, August 5, that authorities were investigating the killing and working to identify the killer.

“The actual perpetrators, and if applicable the mastermind, must be arrested, and the reason behind this tragic homicide must be uncovered,” she said in her morning press conference.

At least 12 social media influencers have been murdered in Culiacán since two factions of the Sinaloa cartel began their battle in September 2024, according to local media.