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.
Esparza was 37 and had built a local following through comedy clips, personal anecdotes and videos about 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.
One attacker reportedly opened fire while Esparza was at the restaurant before fleeing on a motorcycle with another person. Emergency responders transported the creator for medical treatment, but he later died from his injuries.
Investigators recovered two .40-calibre shell casings at the scene. Initial reports said the evidence would undergo ballistic testing.
El Universal later reported that prosecutors found a possible match between the casings and evidence recovered from a homicide in El Conti, a community of Cócorit, one day earlier.
Authorities are treating the reported match as a line of investigation. It has not been established that the same gunman was responsible for both killings, and no suspect or motive has been publicly confirmed.
Following Esparza’s death, colleagues and followers shared tributes on social media. Desde la O producer Luis Antonio ended a video about the creator by repeating his familiar phrase: “Que el ánimo no decaiga chavalada.”
