'Beautiful woman' with 'pure heart' fatally shot in the head on livestream video - allegedly by friend's partner
TikTok star has been shot dead - allegedly by her friend’s partner - while on a livestream video as her horrified fans watched on.
Keyla Andreina González Mercado, aged 28, is reported to have been shot twice in the head by her friend’s partner as they drank alcohol together.
The victim appeared to tease the suspect, who has been named Manuel Andrés Álava Lázaro, before he pulled a gun on her.
Footage captured the final moments of the social media media star’s life, before viewers watched in horror as she was killed.
The alleged murder took place at Keyla’s home in Guayaquil, Ecuador, South America, on Saturday (July 26) while she streamed online to her followers. In the video, Keyla appeared to tease the suspect before he allegedly pulled the trigger.
Keyla told him in Spanish: “Shoot me twice, I beg you, but later, let me get drunk.” She added: “You’ll hit me in the head twice, you’ll kill me in one go, I don't want to suffer, two in the head.” Her friend, who has not been identified, was heard saying “no, no” in the background.
Keyla shouted out the suspect’s name before he allegedly fired his gun twice. Shortly afterwards, her friend stopped the livestream and went to her family’s house to tell them what had happened.
Lázaro fled the scene on a motorbike and is now missing. A police investigation is underway and officers are looking for him.
Keyla’s family paid tribute to her saying she was a "joker" and she liked to be called "chubby". In her last TikTok post, the influencer, who was the youngest of three sisters, said: “My goal is clear: to continue being a good woman, to walk hand in hand with God, to be a simple and humble woman without harming anyone.”
She also described herself as a woman with a “beautiful soul, a strong character, a mischievous look, a pure heart, and an unforgettable smile”.
Speaking about Lázaro, they added: “We only knew him by sight; we never spoke with him. People who know him told us he has a teardrop tattoo on his face and a rifle on his neck.” Those types of tattoos are typically associated with gang and prison culture.
The investigation into Keyla’s alleged murder is on-going.