Mexican Influencer Cesar Gastelum Shot Dead During TikTok Livestream
7 sources across 5 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state
Who reported this
- Infobae
- La Nacion
- BBC News
- Reuters
- El Tiempo
- Telex
- The Straits Times
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.
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Cesar Gastelum, a 25 year old social media influencer with over 500,000 followers, was shot and killed on Tuesday night while livestreaming on TikTok in Culiacan, Sinaloa. Gastelum, known as Cesarín or Compasexor, was outside a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant with two friends when two men on a motorcycle approached and the driver shot him in the head. The victims were dressed as food delivery drivers as part of a challenge, which initially led police to believe the victim was a delivery worker. The attackers fled the scene, and no arrests have been made.
Authorities and media reports link the killing to the ongoing conflict between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, specifically Los Chapitos and La Mayiza. Some reports indicate that Gastelum had posted images of himself wearing a hat with the letters MZ, a symbol associated with the Mayo faction. Other reports note that he had previously posted a photo at the grave of Leobardo Aispuro, another influencer killed in December 2024.
This event is part of a broader pattern of violence targeting public figures in the region. One report notes that approximately ten influencers have been killed in Sinaloa in recent years. In January 2025, flyers were distributed in Culiacan accusing 25 influencers and musicians of having links to Los Chapitos, labeling them as financiers or money launderers. Several people on that list, including Gail Castro and Camilo Ochoa, were subsequently murdered.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- These outlets emphasized the immediate facts of the crime and the general state of cartel warfare in the region.
- Centre-right
- These outlets focused on the victim's personal background and the broader context of cartel hit lists and narcoculture symbols.
Sources
- Centre BBC News: Mexican influencer shot dead during livestream
- Centre-right El Tiempo: Recognized influencer was murdered while performing a live broadcast in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico: The young man was 25 years old
- Centre-right Infobae: Publications of César Gastélum about a criminal group are investigated after he was murdered in Sinaloa
- Centre-right Infobae: These are the murdered influencers who appeared in flyers for alleged links with Los Chapitos in Sinaloa
- Centre-right La Nacion: Influencer César Gastélum murdered during a live broadcast in Culiacán: shocking images
- Centre-right La Nacion: Who was César Gastelum, the Mexican influencer murdered in a live broadcast by “motosicarios”
- Centre Reuters: Mexican influencer Cesar Gastelum shot to death during livestream - reuters.com
- Centre Telex: Mexican influencer shot dead during a live stream
- Centre-right The Straits Times: Mexican influencer Cesar Gastelum shot to death during livestream
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.