Mexican content creator José Luis Esparza, known online as El Piturris, was shot and killed while working at his family’s Los Güichos taco shop in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, on September 10, according to reports citing the state prosecutor’s office.
The 37-year-old built a local following through comedy clips, personal anecdotes, and videos from everyday life. He also appeared on La Guarida, a podcast produced by Desde la O alongside fellow creator El Huicho. Infobae reported that Esparza had more than 27,000 followers on Instagram and over 40,000 on TikTok.
According to the Fiscalía General de Justicia del Estado de Sonora, one attacker opened fire while Esparza was attending the restaurant before fleeing on a motorcycle with another person. Emergency responders took the creator for medical treatment, but he later died from his injuries.
Authorities investigate a possible ballistic link
Investigators recovered two .40-caliber shell casings from the scene. Initial reports said the evidence would be submitted for ballistic testing, while a later report from El Universal said prosecutors found a possible match between the casings and evidence from a homicide in El Conti, a community of Cócorit, one day earlier.
The reported match is being treated as a line of investigation. Authorities have not said it proves the same gunman was involved in both killings, and no suspect or motive has been publicly confirmed.
The New York Post reported that El Piturris was the 20th Mexican social media creator killed over the past two years, placing his death alongside several other high-profile attacks against online personalities.
Following the shooting, colleagues and followers shared tributes across social media. El Universal reported that Desde la O producer Luis Antonio ended a video about Esparza by repeating the creator’s familiar phrase: “Que el ánimo no decaiga chavalada.”
Milenio reported that Esparza’s final Instagram video was posted two days before his death and showed him joking about driving through a storm.
The case follows the August killing of Mexican creator César Gastélum during a Kick livestream and the July death of TikToker itgirlbri after a drive-by shooting.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
