Who is César Gastélum? TikTok star shot dead outside KFC is tenth influencer killed in same state

Who is César Gastélum? TikTok star shot dead outside KFC is tenth influencer killed in same state Gastélum, who amassed tens of millions of views on the social media platform with clips of his life, is the latest in a series of influencers killed in the region - Bookmark Mexican influencer César Gastélum has been shot dead outside a restaurant in the city of Culiacán. Gastélum, who amassed tens of millions of views from his hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, was killed in the middle of a livestream on Tuesday. In the footage reviewed by Reuters, two men on a motorcycle approached Gastélum before opening fire. According to local outlet El Sol de Sinaloa, authorities at the scene said the killing took place in the parking lot of a KFC restaurant on Boulevard Enrique Sanchez Alonso, a major road running through Culiacán in Sinaloa state. Investigations into his death are ongoing. Who was César Gastélum? Gastélum was a popular influencer who racked up more than 610,000 followers on TikTok and 130,000 followers on Instagram. The influencer’s videos were often comedic in nature, and he often sported a distinctive look consisting of glasses, baseball caps and chain jewelry. In many of the videos, he appeared alongside friends and other influencers. In his final TikTok post, he donned a cowboy hat and filmed himself eating, while sitting beside an influencer with the username @La Beba. In some of his posts, he referred to himself as “padre” and wore a large, golden crucifix. He also wore a piece of fabric resembling a Christian stole. The influencer, whom Milenio reported was from Culiacán, also referred to himself as @Compasexor on the livestreaming platform Kick. César Gastélum’s killing Gastélum was killed on Tuesday, while broadcasting live in Culiacán. In the footage reviewed by Milenio, Gastélum was seen with two other men in the moments leading up to the shooting. All three were clad in orange clothing and carried backpacks similar to those used by local food delivery drivers. The two motorcyclists stopped the vehicle directly beside the influencer before one of them opened fire. After Gastélum was shot, authorities cordoned off the area, and the State Attorney General’s Office ordered that the body be transferred to the Forensic Medical Service, El Sol De Sinaloa reported. Other influencers have been killed in Mexico in recent years Gastélum is not the first influencer to be killed in Sinaloa in recent years. According to Milenio, at least nine content creators have been killed in the region since 2024. Early last year, a plane dumped pamphlets across Culiacán threatening influencers and artists who were alleged to have connections with a faction of the Sinaloa cartel, according to CBS News. Also in 2025, 23-year-old influencer Valeria Márquez was shot dead in a high-profile killing in Zapopan, in the state of Jalisco. Marquez was killed while livestreaming at her workplace, according to prosecutors.