On Tuesday, 13 May, Valeria Marquez was killed outside her beauty salon while livestreaming to her followers. As reported by the BBC, the creator said on her final stream that she was waiting for a courier to deliver an item to her. Marquez noted that her friend couldn’t see the courier, which made her uneasy. She then clutched her chest and abdomen and collapsed in her chair, while another person quickly ended the live stream.
Police later shared that the perpetrator drove past Marquez, asked if she was Valeria, then shot her at least two times.
Marquez was livestreaming in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. While the BBC reports that the area has links to certain cartels, the authorities confirmed that the death was being treated as a femicide, which means that it is suspected she was killed on account of her gender.
This death is the latest disturbing example of female creators being targeted. Two months ago, Valkyrae, Cinna, and Emiru were forced to cut their subathon IRL stream short after being harassed and chased by a man. That same weekend, Amouranth had a home invader. Moreover, back in February, Pokimane revealed that she spent “five figures” in order to stay safe offline.
While the motive for Marquez’s murder remains under investigation, this incident tragically underscores the pervasive and dangerous reality of violence against female streamers. When it comes to building a following online, nobody should have to pay with their life or live in fear for their safety. This heartbreaking event serves as a stark reminder that urgent action is needed to protect women in online spaces and ensure they can share their lives and work without the threat of real-world harm.
