Mexican Influencer Cesar Gastelum Killed During Livestream in Culiacan
5 sources across 5 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state
Who reported this
- El Tiempo
- ANSA
- Al Jazeera
- Taipei Times
- The Guardian
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
Cesar Gastelum, a 24 year old Mexican social media influencer with nearly 600,000 TikTok followers, was shot dead on Tuesday while livestreaming outside a fast food restaurant in Culiacan, Sinaloa. Gastelum and two companions, who were dressed as food delivery drivers, were in a car park when two men on a motorcycle approached. The driver of the motorcycle shot Gastelum in the head at point blank range before fleeing the scene. The attack was partially captured on the live broadcast and by security cameras.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that authorities are investigating the homicide to identify the perpetrators and the motive. Mexico's security cabinet noted that Gastelum had posted content referring to a faction of a criminal group, using the term belico to imply a connection to cartel culture. The killing occurred amid ongoing violence in Culiacan, where factions of the Sinaloa Cartel are fighting for control. Local media reports indicate that at least 12 influencers have been murdered in the city since September 2024.
Several reports linked this event to the May 2025 murder of beauty influencer Valeria Marquez, who was also killed during a TikTok livestream in Jalisco. While some sources focus on the broader context of cartel warfare, others highlight the specific legal aftermath of the Marquez case, including the arrest of Ramon Angel Alvarez Ayala, a leader linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- These outlets emphasized the broader context of cartel warfare and the specific political and security responses from the Mexican and US governments.
- Centre
- This outlet focused on the shock to the digital community and the specific details of the social media challenge being filmed.
- Centre-right
- These outlets highlighted the personal tragedy and the emotional reactions of the victim's friends and colleagues.
Sources
- Centre ANSA: Mexican influencer murdered during a live stream
- Centre-left Al Jazeera: Mexican influencer shot dead during livestream
- Centre-left Al Jazeera: Mexican influencer shot dead during TikTok livestream
- Centre-right El Tiempo: Video revealed of the exact moment influencer César Gastélum was attacked with a firearm during a live broadcast in Sinaloa, Mexico
- Centre-right El Tiempo: Alejandro Fierro dedicated a touching message to César Gastélum, influencer murdered while streaming live in Mexico: 'You did not deserve it'
- Centre-left Taipei Times: Mexican influencer is killed during livestream
- Centre-left The Guardian: Mexican influencer shot dead while streaming live on social media
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.