Mexican influencer César Gastélum was fatally shot outside of a fast food restaurant in Culiacán while he was livestreaming to his followers.
Gastélum, 24, was with two other people around 8 p.m. when two armed men approached them on motorcycles, according to Excelsior.
The livestream footage captured the driver appearing to fire a gun directly at Gastélum, according to Reuters. Gastélum died instantly when he was shot, per Excelsior.
A security official in Sinaloa state, where Culiacán lived, confirmed to Reuters that Gastélum died during the incident.
Following the shooting, the Mexican Army, the State Preventive Police and experts from the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Sinaloa were deployed to the scene. The area was blocked off and they removed Gastélum’s body before they picked up spent shell casings amid the investigation.
Despite confirming his death, authorities have not released any additional information regarding if there’s a believed motive for the shooting and if it was targeted. Meanwhile, no one has been arrested in connection to Gastélum’s death.
Mexico’s Federal Security Cabinet said on Wednesday, August 5, that authorities are investigating if the shooting was related to “various” social media posts in which Gastélum “made reference to a faction of a criminal group,” according to CNN.
The Security Cabinet said that federal authorities are analyzing “surveillance cameras and other evidence to identify and apprehend those responsible.”
Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that authorities are working to learn who is responsible.
“The actual perpetrators — and, if applicable, the mastermind — must be arrested, and the reason behind this tragic homicide must be uncovered,” Sheinbaum said during an August 5 press conference.
Gastélum had more than 600,000 followers on TikTok and 137,000 followers on Instagram, while he was known for sharing comedy videos on his social media platforms.
His killing comes amid ongoing violence in Sinaloa, which is located northwest of Mexico City.
In February, multiple miners that were working for a Canadian company in the state were found dead after they were allegedly kidnapped. Following the tragedy, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico listed Sinaloa under the highest Level 4 travel advisory in June. The advisory comes with a “do not travel” warning, in which people have been discouraged to cross state lines.
Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography conducted a study that shows there’s been a nearly 75 percent increase in the state’s homicide rate between 2024 and 2025, according to Reforma. The outlet attributed the increase in crime to escalating disputes between rival organized crime groups in the state.
