Model Maria Jose Estupinan Sanchez was shot dead in front of her home in Cucuta, Colombia, on May 15.
According to Noticias Caracol, a man posing as a deliveryman approached and shot Maria Jose Estupinan Sanchez at close range at around 1 p.m. CCTV footage from the area shows the suspect running away from Maria's home after shooting her while Maria screamed for help. She was rushed to the hospital but died from her injuries.
The president of the Colombian National Gender Commission, Magda Victoria Acosta, believes Maria was a victim of domestic violence and is due to receive compensation after suing her ex-boyfriend for abuse. "She was a young, dynamic woman who had her whole life ahead of her. But those dreams were crushed," he said.
The attack came after Maria won a lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend and received a COP30 million (about $7,000) settlement. Authorities are investigating her ex-boyfriend as the prime suspect, believing that the court victory may be linked to the murder, Canal TRO reports. However, no arrests have been confirmed. Police are looking for a suspect who appeared in security footage wearing a black hat and a jacket, jeans, and a backpack.
Maria was a Social Media student at the University of Pamplona in Cúcuta, near the Venezuelan border. She often shared her life as a model and student on social media, attracting a large following.
The attack comes just days after 23-year-old social media influencer Valeria Marquez was shot dead while live-streaming from her beauty salon in Mexico on May 13. The TikToker was also attacked by a man posing as a deliveryman.