On August 4, the name César Gastélum began trending after the famous influencer was murdered outside a popular fast-food restaurant in Culiacán, Sinaloa, while hosting a live stream with two other young people.
The attack targeted Gastélum directly; two men on a motorcycle approached and shot the influencer at point-blank range from less than a meter away. However, this is not an isolated case; over the years, other content creators have been gunned down—some before the eyes of thousands of viewers—all in violent fashion.
Influencers murdered in Mexico
While César Gastélum’s murder has once again caused an uproar—not only on social media but across Mexico—he is not the first influencer to be violently killed. Below, we highlight a few instances where the deaths of content creators deeply impacted their followers.
El Pirata de Culiacán
Juan Luis Lagunas Rosales, known in the digital world as “El Pirata de Culiacán” (The Pirate of Culiacán), became a prominent social media figure thanks to videos characterized by excess and ostentation.
On the night of December 18, 2017, while Juan Luis Lagunas was celebrating at a bar in Zapopan, Jalisco, his life was violently cut short. Tragedy struck when a group of unidentified individuals stormed the establishment and ruthlessly opened fire on the young influencer. Lagunas was struck by at least 15 point-blank shots, killing him instantly.
Gail Castro
The tragedy that occurred on March 28, 2025, at a restaurant in Ensenada, Baja California, shocked the digital community. Armed men opened fire on Gail Castro Cárdenas, the brother of Markitos Toys and Kevin Castro.
After carrying out the attack on the 32-year-old man—who was accompanied by his wife and son—the assailants fled in a red vehicle.
Valeria Márquez
On May 13, 2025, Valeria Márquez’s name began trending on social media and making news headlines; the 23-year-old woman was gunned down at her business in Zapopan, Jalisco.
The attack occurred after an employee told Valeria that, hours earlier, a delivery person had arrived asking for her, claiming he needed to hand over a very expensive gift. This made the young woman extremely nervous; she immediately feared that someone intended to abduct her—or even murder her. However, moments later, a man handed her a drink and a stuffed pig, which put the young woman—who was also a model—at ease.
Camilo Ochoa “El Alucín”
La noche del 16 de agosto de 2025, un nuevo caso conmocionó a las redes sociales, la muerte de Camilo Ochoa conocido como “El Alucín” se convirtió en tendencia al interior de su departamento ubicado en el municipio de Temixco en el Estado de Morelos.
De acuerdo con declaraciones que él mismo hizo en el pasado, él fue parte del crimen organizado sin embargo aseguraba que eso era parte de su pasado y ahora solo se dedicaba a crear contenido, sin embargo, en varias ocasiones denunció amenazas de muerte en su contra.
