Who was Cesar Gastelum, Mexican TikToker shot dead mid-livestream?

What the report says

Mexican TikTok creator Cesar Gastelum was shot dead while livestreaming in Culiacan, in northern Sinaloa, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing Mexican media and authorities. Gastelum, 24, was known for comedy and lifestyle videos and had more than 700,000 followers on TikTok. The killing took place on Tuesday evening at a KFC car park in Tres Rios, when he was broadcasting with two friends. Witness video described in the report shows armed men arriving on a motorbike and firing at him before fleeing. His companions were not hurt.

The report says investigators have not announced any arrests or a confirmed motive. Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said authorities were working to identify both the shooters and anyone who may have ordered the attack. The federal security cabinet also said it was reviewing Gastelum’s online activity and surveillance footage, while working with the Sinaloa state prosecutor’s office. Officials have said some social media posts may reference a faction within a criminal group, but no further details were given.

Culiacan has seen prolonged violence linked to rival factions within the Sinaloa cartel. Mexican media have reported that multiple influencers have been killed there since 2024. Al Jazeera noted that Gastelum’s death follows earlier killings of online personalities, including Valeria Marquez in Jalisco in May 2025 and influencer Leobardo Aispuro in December 2024, underscoring how social media figures have increasingly been caught up in Mexico’s wider organized-crime violence.