A New York man who was visiting Puerto Rico to attend a Bad Bunny concert was fatally shot on Sunday at a popular nightspot in La Perla, according to police.
The victim was identified as 25-year-old Kevin Mares, police said.
Homicide Det. Sgt. Arnaldo Ruiz said that the shooting in the coastal community took place after several people near Mares began arguing and one pulled out a gun and shot at least three people, including Mares.
Two other people, both locals of La Perla, were injured and remain in the hospital.
Ruiz said Mares was an innocent bystander. He was there with three other friends who told police they were visiting Puerto Rico for one of Bad Bunny’s 30 concerts as part of his residency, titled No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí. The residency is being held at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, in San Juan’s Hato Rey neighbourhood.
Mares was shot on the left side of his abdomen and was taken to a local hospital, where he later died, according to authorities.
Ruiz added that police don’t know what the people were arguing about and don’t currently have a description of the shooter.
Mares’ mother, Sandra Mares, told ABC News that her son was walking across the street when people started arguing and she claimed a person pulled out a gun and started shooting.
“And my son was across the street and he got shot in the abdomen,” his father, Hector Mares, added.
They said that their son loved animals and had a dream of becoming a veterinarian.
“He got a lot of dreams. He was working as a vet technician. And at the same time he was studying,” Hector said.
They also revealed that their son was planning to propose to his longtime girlfriend.
“He was about to propose to her, this fall. Yeah. He wants to do something special. He shared that with us,” Sandra told the outlet.
Mares’ girlfriend was in Puerto Rico with him but she stayed at the hotel while he ventured out with his brother and a friend.
“We told him just stay in the hotel and that’s in the resort,” his father said.
“But they’re young. When you’re young, sometimes you don’t think,” his mother added.
Mares’ father started a GoFundMe to help “honor Kevin’s memory and give him the farewell he deserves.”
“Kevin Mares was a deeply loved son, devoted friend, and a source of inspiration to everyone who knew him,” his father wrote in the GoFundMe description. “His wholehearted kindness, adventurous spirit, and unwavering commitment to family made him a pillar of strength for his loved ones.”
Hector said that his son “had a bright future ahead, with plans to propose to his girlfriend of six years this fall, and he was always creating memories with those closest to him.”
“Family was at the center of everything he did, and his sudden passing has left an unfillable void in our lives,” he continued, adding that the family is “now faced with the heartbreaking task of bringing Kevin home, with significant expenses to transfer his body from Puerto Rico to New York, as well as funeral and memorial costs at Frederick Funeral Home.”
The GoFundMe post has raised more than US$31,000 of its goal of $50,000 from 489 donations as of Monday afternoon.
La Perla is located on the outskirts of a historic district popular with tourists known as Old San Juan. A couple of hundred people live in the shantytown, which once served as Puerto Rico’s biggest distribution point for heroin and was known for its violence.
In February 2023, three tourists were stabbed after police said a person told them to stop filming inside the community.
In April 2024, a 24-year-old tourist from Delaware was killed and his body set on fire after police said he and a friend were attacked following a drug purchase. Police said the victims were trying to take pictures of La Perla after being warned not to do so.
— With files from The Associated Press