NEED TO KNOW
- Colombian influencer Maria Jose Estupinan was shot dead at her residence in Cúcuta on May 15
- Authorities said the suspect pretended to be a deliveryman before shooting Estupinan multiple times
- Officials suspect Estupinan’s ex-boyfriend could be the shooter after she won a domestic violence case against him the day before
A Colombian influencer has been killed just days after influencer Valeria Marquez was fatally shot during her livestream in Mexico.
According to CNN, 22-year-old Maria Jose Estupinan was killed on May 15. She reportedly attended university in Cúcuta near the border of Venezuela.
The outlet reports that the president of the National Gender Commission of the Colombian Judiciary, Magda Victoria Acosta, told the press at a news conference that a man pretending to be a delivery person shot Estupinan at her residence.
Local news outlet Noticias Caracol reported that the suspect shot the student multiple times in Norte de Santander.
Per NDTV, security footage captured a man running away as Estupinan’s screams were heard.
The social media star reportedly died later from her injuries at the hospital.
“We are verifying. The Judicial Police has already begun carrying out the necessary activities to identify and determine the whereabouts of the person who shot this young woman,” Colonel Leonardo Capacho, commander of District One of the Cúcuta Metropolitan Police, said in a statement to Noticias Caracol.
PEOPLE has contacted the Cúcuta Metropolitan Police for comment.
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The official also said that the suspect could be Estupinan’s ex-partner, whom she previously reported for domestic violence.
“It could be an alleged femicide, since she filed several complaints for domestic violence in previous years, but that is a matter of investigation,” Capacho said.
Estupinan was also set to be given a reward of 30 million pesos after winning a domestic violence case against her ex the day before.
Alejandra Vera, director of the organization, Mujer Denuncia y Muévete, which translates to Women Report and Move, told the outlet that the victim’s ex “stalked her and abused her, and she reported it to the authorities. By filing a complaint, she activated the route, requested assistance and requested full protection and security, and above all, that she could enjoy a life free of violence.”
“The Colombian state has failed this young woman,” Vera added.
Estupinan’s death comes days after 23-year-old influencer Valeria Marquez was shot dead while livestreaming from her beauty salon in Jalisco, Mexico, on May 13.
While Marquez was not at the salon, a man had previously gone to the location pretending to be a delivery driver. He reportedly said he needed to deliver a gift to the social media star.
She then arrived at her salon called Blossom and spoke on TikTok about being fearful due to hearing about a man asking about her.
“Maybe they were going to kill me. Were they going to come and take me away, or what?” she said in the livestream before being shot.
Authorities believe Marquez may have been targeted by hitmen.
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