Colombia Model Maria Jose Estupinan Shot Dead Outside Home

María José Estupiñán Sánchez, a 22year old social media influencer and model, was shot dead outside her home in Cúcuta, Colombia, on the morning of May 15.

The brutal killing occurred just one day after a court ordered her ex-partner to compensate her over a longstanding domestic violence case, reported El Universal.

According to witnesses, the attacker arrived around 8:30 am (local time) disguised as a delivery man. Pretending to hand over a gift, he shot María José in the face and chest at point-blank range when she opened the door.

Surveillance cameras captured the harrowing moment and the suspect’s escape. The footage is now key evidence in the police investigation.

She was a young, enterprising woman with a whole life ahead of her, but those dreams are cut short like the dreams of many women in this country,” Acosta said.

Estupinan had been the victim of a domestic violence case and was about to receive compensation for it, Acosta added. She said the commission “very strongly” condemned the crime and would work to deliver justice.

Authorities are investigating the killing. CNN has reached out to the Colombian National Police and prosecutor’s office for more information.

The case has been covered widely by local media and spread on social media, with many comparing it to the May 13 shooting of 23-year-old beauty influencer Valeria Marquez in Mexico. Just days before Estupinan’s death, Marquez was killed during a live stream at a salon by a male intruder.

Officials in Mexico’s Jalisco state said they are investigating Marquez’s death as a suspected femicide – the killing of a woman or girl for gender-based reasons.

Acosta did not say whether Estupinan’s death was a suspected femicide – but her killing has highlighted the sheer scale of violence against women in Colombia.

Gender-based violence in the country is widespread, including by armed groups, according to non-profit organization  Human Rights Watch. Survivors face many obstacles in seeking care or justice, and perpetrators are rarely held accountable, the group noted in its World Report 2024.

Colombia’s National Gender Commission has logged thousands of cases of gender and domestic violence, including high rates of sexual violence, neglect, abandonment and psychological violence, Acosta said.