Cesar Gastelum, a well-known Mexican influencer, was fatally shot on Tuesday while broadcasting live with two friends in front of a fast-food restaurant in Culiacan, located in northwestern Mexico, according to local authorities.
Gastelum, who had nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok and was popular for his comedic videos, was streaming in front of a KFC when two individuals on a scooter, both wearing helmets, approached him and his friends.
Footage showed the scooter driver raising a firearm and shooting Gastelum in the head at close range.
A security official from Sinaloa confirmed Gastelum’s death and stated that a large-scale security operation is currently underway.
This assassination highlights the persistent violence in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa, which is at the center of a struggle between rival organized crime factions vying for control.
The incident also recalls the murder of Mexican influencer Valeria Marquez in May 2025, who was shot dead during a live TikTok broadcast from the salon where she worked in Zapopan, Jalisco. Marquez, 23, was killed when a man entered the salon and opened fire, according to prosecutors. Her death was investigated under femicide protocols.
In July, Mexican authorities announced the arrest of Ramon Angel Alvarez Ayala, known as “El R-1,” in Jalisco. Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch identified him as a leader of a criminal group linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Authorities connected Alvarez Ayala to Marquez’s murder and accused him of ordering and financing the assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo in November 2025.
