By John Ogunsemore
Venezuelan social media influencer, Gabriel Jesús Sarmiento was on Monday shot dead during a TikTok livestream.
The incident occurred in the city of Maracay, the capital of Aragua in the north-central region of Venezuela, the nation’s Ministry of Public Safety confirmed in a statement on Instagram.
A recording of the influencer’s livestream showed he was attacked by two unidentified armed men who fire multiple shots.
Sarmiento was well known for criticising criminal gangs and corruption among law enforcement agencies through his content.
The ministry said he was killed shortly after lodging a report of threat to life against a criminal group, Organised Crime Structured Groups (GEDOs) and police officers.
The ministry added that it has assigned the prosecutor’s office against organised crime to investigate, identify and prosecute the perpetrators of the killing.
Sarmiento’s fatal shooting comes barely a month after another Latin American influencer was shot dead during a livestream.
Mexican beauty influencer Valeria Marquez was shot and killed in a salon in May.
Days earlier, gunmen shot dead a mayoral candidate in the city of Veracruz and three other persons also during a livestream.