TikTok star Cesar Gastelum shot dead during livestream outside restaurant by two armed gunmen on motorbikes

TIKTOK star Cesar Gastelum has been shot dead while livestreaming to fans after a gunman on a motorcycle allegedly open fire outside a fast food restaurant. The Mexican influencer, who had nearly 600,000 TikTok followers, was killed in the horror attack in the violence-plagued city of Culiacan as horrified viewers watched the bloodshed unfold live. TikTok star Cesar Gastelum was shot dead during a livestream Credit: Instagram / cesargastelum_57 A gunman on a motorcycle allegedly opened fire outside a fast food restaurant Credit: Instagram Gastelum, known for his comedy videos and livestreams, was reportedly broadcasting with friends outside the restaurant when two people wearing motorcycle helmets pulled up. Footage on the livestream seen by Reuters appears to show the motorcycle driver firing a gun directly at Gastelum before fleeing the scene. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! A security official in the Mexican state of Sinaloa confirmed the influencer’s death and said a significant security operation was underway following the shooting. No arrests have been announced. Gastelum’s killing comes as Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, continues to be rocked by persistent violence as rival organised crime factions battle for control of the region. The city has become a hotspot for deadly attacks as criminal groups compete for influence, with authorities regularly launching major security operations in an attempt to curb the bloodshed. The murder has also drawn chilling comparisons to the killing of Mexican beauty influencer Valeria Marquez, who was also shot dead during a TikTok livestream earlier this year. The 23-year-old was working inside her beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco, when a gunman entered and opened fire. Most read in The Sun Viewers watched in horror as Marquez was reportedly shot once in the chest and twice in the head before collapsing to the floor. Earlier in the livestream, she chillingly told followers: “Maybe they were going to kill me or something.” Prosecutors later launched a femicide investigation into her death. It comes after Mexican authorities announced the arrest of Ramon Nagel Alvarez Ayala, also known as “El R1,” a senior alleged figure in the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), over claims he was behind the influencer’s murder. Ayala was captured during a special forces operation that also left one member of his security team dead. Federal Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch claimed Ayala’s son, Francisco Alvarez, had been in a romantic relationship with Marquez before they split up. According to Harfuch, Francisco allegedly phoned his father and asked him to arrange the killing. Authorities claim Ayala then ordered a hitman to go to Marquez’s salon disguised as a delivery driver. The alleged gunman reportedly entered the salon, asked the influencer to confirm her identity and, once she responded to her name, opened fire, shooting her three times. The CJNG, one of Mexico’s most notorious criminal organisations, was designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the Trump administration last year. The cartel has long been accused of trafficking cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine, as well as extorting businesses across Mexico. Its founder, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as El Mencho, was killed by authorities earlier this year after being captured by the army in Tapalpa, Jalisco. His death triggered a wave of violence across Jalisco, with cars and businesses set alight and schools temporarily forced to close. Comment now