Mexican content creator shot dead during live broadcast

César Gastélum, a 24-year-old Mexican content creator known for his humor and videos about daily life in Sinaloa, was fatally shot on Tuesday night in Culiacán. The attack occurred during a live social media broadcast as Gastélum waited for food outside a fast-food restaurant in the Desarrollo Urbano Tres Ríos area, near the state prosecutor's office.

The live stream partially captured the moment of the attack, showing a motorcycle with two individuals stopping beside Gastélum. The passenger then shot him in the head. Gastélum's two companions, who were with him during the broadcast, were unharmed. Local media reported that the Sinaloa State Attorney General's Office has launched an investigation, but no arrests or motives have been announced.

This killing takes place against a backdrop of persistent violence in Sinaloa, where clashes between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel have intensified in 2024, leading to a rise in homicides and armed attacks. Gastélum's death is the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting content creators in Mexico. In May 2025, influencer Valeria Márquez was killed while broadcasting live in Jalisco, and in December 2017, Juan Luis Lagunas Rosales, known as 'El Pirata de Culiacán,' was murdered in Zapopan. The risks faced by individuals who create content, especially in high-violence areas and during live broadcasts that reveal their location, are once again under scrutiny.