Mexican influencer shot dead while streaming live on social media

César Gastélum was filming outside a fast-food outlet in Sinaloa state when he was killed by a motorbike driver A popular Mexican influencer has been shot dead while doing a live stream on social media outside a restaurant in Sinaloa state, where lethal cartel violence has become widespread. César Gastélum, who had nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok and was known for making comedy videos, was filming with two friends outside a fast-food restaurant in the city of Culiacán. The three were dressed in the bright orange jackets and backpacks of food delivery drivers. A motorcycle with a driver and pillion rider suddenly pulled up beside them and the driver pulled out a gun and shot Gastélum at point-blank range. A security official in Sinaloa confirmed Gastélum’s death to Reuters and said a major security operation was under way. The killing is the latest example of bloodshed in Culiacán, which has become an epicentre of violence as factions of the Sinaloa cartel battle for control of the city. Mexico’s security cabinet wrote on X that it was investigating several of Gastélum’s posts, “some of which referred to a faction of a criminal group”. It also said video surveillance footage and