A popular Mexican social media influencer was gunned down in chilling fashion on Tuesday night while broadcasting live to his devoted followers outside a busy fast-food restaurant in one of the country’s most dangerous cities.
César Gastélum, known to fans as “Cesarín” and streaming under the handle “compasexor” on Kick, was shot and killed outside a KFC in the Tres Ríos neighbourhood of Culiacán, Sinaloa. The 25-year-old had nearly 600,000 TikTok followers and built his online fame on light-hearted comedy sketches, character impersonations and everyday lifestyle clips.
At the time of the attack, Gastélum and two friends were dressed head-to-toe in bright red Rappi delivery uniforms and backpacks as part of a playful content challenge. They stood chatting near the restaurant’s drive-thru exit, phones in hand, when two men on a motorcycle approached. The livestream, watched by fans in real time, captured the sudden horror before cutting out.
Minutes earlier, the group had spotted the same motorcycle circling the area. In audio from the stream that has since circulated widely, one of the friends can be heard saying the riders gave him a bad feeling: “Those kids scare me.” Gastélum himself voiced unease. They stayed put. The pair returned and the attack followed.
Local authorities confirmed Gastélum died at the scene from a gunshot wound. His two companions escaped unharmed but were left in shock. Emergency services and a heavy security deployment of soldiers and police flooded the busy commercial plaza, which sits just metres from the Sinaloa state prosecutor’s office. A major investigation and security operation are now under way.
The killing has sent shockwaves through Mexico’s influencer community. It is the latest in a grim series of attacks on content creators in Sinaloa, where rival organised-crime factions have been locked in a bloody power struggle for nearly two years. At least ten influencers are reported to have been murdered in the state amid the violence. The case also echoes the 2025 livestream killing of beauty influencer Valeria Márquez in neighbouring Jalisco.
Gastélum, originally from Sinaloa, had grown a loyal audience across TikTok, Instagram (more than 100,000 followers) and YouTube with his spontaneous humour and glimpses of a flashy lifestyle that included sports cars and nights out. Friends and followers have flooded social media with tributes, remembering the young man who made them laugh.
Footage from the moments before the shooting, showing the three men in their delivery outfits joking outside the restaurant under the night lights, has spread rapidly online, amplifying the sense of dread. The platform took down the actual livestream of the attack, though clips and stills continue to circulate.
Sinaloa state officials have vowed a thorough probe. For now, a rising comedy star who was simply filming a silly challenge with his mates is the latest victim of the relentless violence that continues to haunt Culiacán.
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