Influencer shot dead live on TikTok aged 23

Prosecutors say they believe the attack was motivated because the victim was a woman.

Mexican influencer, Valeria Marquez, was shot dead on Tuesday at Blossom The Beauty Lounge, a beauty salon that she owned, in Zapopan, a town in the central-eastern state of Jalisco.

The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum said: "We're working to catch those responsible and find out why this happened."

Marquez was a Mexican model who won the Miss Rostro (Miss Face) beauty pageant in 2021, which saw her gain substantial attention.

She eventually turned to social media, making makeup and styling content as well as showing off her travels, including uploading images of her private jets and yachts.

She amassed  223,000 followers on Instagram and 100,000 on TikTok.

Marquez was livestreaming when she was shot.

During the stream, she said she was waiting for a courier she knew to deliver a gift. However, she became alarmed as her friend could not see the courier's face when he arrived.

On the stream, she said: "Why didn't he just drop it off (the gift)? Were they going to pick me up (kidnap me) or what?"

She looked away from the camera before clutching her chest and stomach before collapsing into a chair.

Another woman then took the phone and ended the livestream.

Police arrived at the scene around 18:30 local time (12:30 GMT) and confirmed Ms Marquez's death, according to the state prosecutor.

According to authorities, at least two men on motorcycles arrived at the salon, and one of them asked the victim if she was Valeria. When she replied "yes" he produced a gun and shot her.

The motive remains unclear, however, there are suspicions that the cartel could be involved in the murder, according to the BBC.

The prosecutor's office has said they are investigating the crime as femicide, which means that Marquez was targeted because she is a woman.