Influencer, 21, and boyfriend are shot dead when gunman fires 26 bullets at them at close range outside gym

A 21-year-old influencer and her boyfriend have been shot dead outside a gym after a gunman opened fire on them at close range. Vielka Pulido and her partner, named locally as Joel Abraham Chavez, had a total of 26 bullets fired at them. The fatal shooting occurred yesterday morning (April 3) outside a gym called Beats Fitness Centre in the neighbourhood of Santa Cruz Buenavista, in Mexico.

The incident was caught on CCTV. Footage shows a grey Hyundai pulling up alongside the couple’s parked white BMW before a gunman started shooting at them multiple times. Bystanders can be seen running for safety as they hear the sounds of the gunshots.

Police in the Mexican city of Puebla are believed to be working on the theory that Chavez could have been the intended target of the shooting. Local reports have described Pulido as a “collateral victim”.

A spokesperson for state prosecutors in Puebla, around 80 miles south-east of the country capital Mexico City, said: “We are investigating this incident as a priority to try to resolve it as soon as possible and bring those responsible to justice. Preliminary investigations point to the crime being directed principally against the male victim. Twenty 9mm bullet casings and six 45mm bullet casings were retrieved at the scene.”

Pulido, who was a medical student, was also an influencer with thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram. She came to public attention in Mexico in 2018, when she was just in a teenager, when she demanded another girl got down on her knees and apologise to resolve a conflict in front of other youngsters.

Footage of the public shaming led to her being dubbed ‘Lady Humilladora’, which means ‘Lady Humiliation’. At the time, her mum held a press conference to apologise for her daughter's actions and try to explain why she had acted the way she had.

Pulido stepped away from social media after the incident, but gradually returned over the last few years. At the time of her death, she was regularly uploading videos and pictures showcasing her life. She called herself La Bendi on social media and advertised perfumes and beauty treatments on online shops she ran. Some of her TikTok videos received more than one million views.

It is understood that there have been no arrests at the time of writing (April 5), and neither are there any suspects in the case. An investigation is on-going.