Cesar Gastelum was livestreaming with two friends outside a fast food restaurant in the Tres Rios neighbourhood of Culiacan when the attack took place. Two men arrived on a motorbike, and one of them shot him at close range. Both men fled after the shooting.
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Gastelum had more than half a million followers on TikTok, where he mainly posted comedy videos. The platform on which he was livestreaming at the time of the attack was not specified. He and his two companions were wearing bright orange coats and carrying bags resembling those used by food delivery workers.
AP, which reviewed footage of the attack, identified the scene as the car park of a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet a few blocks from the local prosecutor’s office and said the shooting occurred during rush hour. Reuters, which also examined the livestream, reported that both men on the motorbike were wearing helmets. El Pais identified Gastelum as 25 and said his two companions were not injured.
Local media said the group’s delivery-style clothing initially led police to believe that the victim was a delivery worker. Officials were later informed of Gastelum’s identity. Police and forensic teams cordoned off the area and began examining cartridge casings, surveillance recordings and other evidence.
A Sinaloa security official said a significant security operation had been launched after the attack. Federal authorities said surveillance recordings and other evidence were being analysed. No arrests had been announced, the two men remained at large, and it was unclear whether Gastelum had received threats before the shooting.
Authorities examine social media activity
Mexico’s security cabinet and local prosecutors said an investigation had been opened into the killing. Officials said Gastelum appeared to have posted videos that “alluded to a faction of a criminal group”. They said investigators were examining surveillance footage and other evidence to identify and arrest those responsible, but had not announced a motive or accused any organization.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the killing at her Wednesday morning news conference. She said the “perpetrators must be arrested”. “We must find out why this deplorable homicide occurred,” she added.
AP reported that Gastelum used Mexican regional music in some of his comedy videos and occasionally described himself as “belico”. The agency said the term is used in some Mexican subcultures to suggest an association with cartel culture. Messages reading “rest in peace” appeared on Gastelum’s social media accounts on Wednesday, while photographs published by local news outlets showed candles beside bloodstains at the scene.
Gastelum’s Instagram account featured photographs of his travels and nights out, as well as images of him posing in front of luxury cars. One post showed him at the grave of Leobardo Aispuro, another influencer known as “El Gordo Peruci”. BBC reported that Aispuro was shot dead in December 2024.
Earlier influencer killing during livestream
Gastelum’s killing came after another Mexican influencer was shot dead during a live broadcast. In May 2025, 23-year-old beauty influencer Valeria Marquez was killed while livestreaming on TikTok from the salon where she worked in Zapopan, in the western state of Jalisco. Prosecutors said a man entered the salon and opened fire, and her death was investigated under femicide protocols.
Mexican authorities announced in July that Ramon Angel Alvarez Ayala, also known as “El R-1”, had been arrested in Jalisco. Security minister Omar Garcia Harfuch identified him as the leader of a criminal cell linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Authorities linked Alvarez Ayala to Marquez’s killing and accused him of ordering and financing the November 2025 murder of Uruapan mayor Carlos Manzo.
Rival factions fuel violence in Sinaloa
Police said Aispuro’s December 2024 killing may have been linked to fighting between two rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel. Violence in Sinaloa has intensified since Los Chapitos and La Mayiza fell out in September 2024. Reuters reported that Culiacan, the state capital, has been at the centre of the conflict, although authorities have not announced a motive or attributed Gastelum’s killing to either faction.
