José Luis Esparza Güicho, a 37-year-old Mexican content creator known online as "El Piturris," was shot dead on September 10 while working at a taco stand in the city of Ciudad Obregón, located in northern Mexico.
Details of the Incident and Reactions
According to the Sonora State Attorney's Office, Esparza was attacked while working at the taco stand, and the person who shot him fled on a motorcycle with another individual. Two bullets were collected from the scene, and officials ordered further testing, an autopsy, and ballistic evidence analysis.
Esparza's death is being investigated as a homicide. The Attorney's Office also stated that they are looking into a "possible link" between Esparza's murder and another killing that occurred the day before in a nearby town, Cócorit. Officials also concluded that his murder is "related to a conflict between criminal groups linked to drug trafficking."
Esparza's Professional Life and Its Impact
As an active content creator on social media, Esparza had over 30,000 followers on Instagram, where he shared images and videos of his daily life in Mexico. He also participated in a podcast where he shared real-life experiences and stories. His colleague, Luis Alberto Gonzalez, remembered him as someone whose stories and what he said on the podcast were genuine and reflective of people's lives.
Esparza is the latest victim in a string of murders of content creators that has affected Mexico in recent months. For example, César Gastélum, a content creator with over 600,000 followers on TikTok, was killed in August while live streaming. Valeria Marquez, a TikTok content creator, was also killed in May 2025 during a live shooting.
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