Two social media influencers killed days apart in similar attacks

A growing list of social media influencers are being violently killed and now 22-year-old Maria

Jose Estupinan from Colombia has joined that list. Her death comes just two days after Valeria

Marquez, a Mexican influencer, fatally shot while live streaming on TikTok. Online communities are

pointing to disturbing similarities in both cases. Estupinan, known online as La Mona, was a college

student with nearly 45,000 followers on TikTok. According to a local media outlet, on May 15th

she was on the porch of her home when she was approached by a man posing as a delivery driver

who presented her with a fake gift. Moments later, he pulled out a gun, shot her, and fled the scene

on foot. It is unclear if that suspect at the scene was caught. The attack happened just one

day after she won a domestic violence case against her ex-boyfriend, who was ordered to pay her

around 7000 US dollars. Now authorities are investigating him as a primary suspect

Just two days earlier on May 13th, a similar tragedy unfolded in Mexico

Influencer Valeria Marquez was live streaming from her beauty salon where she had more than 113,000 followers

She told her viewers she was feeling a little uneasy after learning that someone had dropped off an expensive gift while she was out For about three minutes she discussed it on live saying things like dude I already intrigued as to who sent me that

And dude, I thought about it, but I asked him and he didn't answer me. She even joked that maybe the person who sent the gift wanted to kidnap or kill her

A Jalisco police spokesperson told the Associated Press that the delivery man was masked

During that same live stream, she was handed a stuffed animal and a bag containing a Starbucks drink

Moments later, Marquez said they're coming before a man entered the salon

Marquez muted her stream after greeting him and was then shot in the chest and head while still on camera

She was pronounced dead at the scene when medics arrived. Viewers who saw the live stream believed the employee in the salon may have known what was happening

After the shooting, the employee walked over to the phone expressionless and ended the stream

A spokesperson for Jalisco Police told the Associated Press that another murder of a former congressman took place just hours earlier in the same area

Like Marquez's killing, that incident was also carried out by men on a motorcycle

So far, there have been no major updates in either case, but authorities say both investigations are still active

With Straight Arrow News, I'm Kennedy Felton. Download our app or visit san.com for more