Kevin Mares, U.S tourist hailing from New York shot dead after having gone to see a Bad Bunny concert in Puerto Rico after the bystander was shot after an argument breaking out at an after party at notorious Old San Juan shanty town, La Perla. No arrests. Victim had been planning on proposing to his longtime girlfriend, Angy Arguello.
A US tourist visiting Puerto Rico for a Bad Bunny concert was shot dead in San Juan over the weekend according to local authorities.
Kevin Mares, 25, a Queens, New York man was shot twice while hanging at a popular nightspot in La Perla, a notorious shantytown on the outskirts of Old San Juan, after having earlier that evening gone to see the rapper in concert, officials said.
Girlfriend of tourist visiting Puerto Rico for Bad Bunny concert warned him to be careful before slain
NY tourist was innocent bystander caught up in fatal argument
The shooting happened during predawn hours at a nightspot called ‘Shelter for Mistreated Men’ in the long time dodgy neighborhood Eyewitness News reported.
Mares, a New Yorker who had traveled to the Caribbean island with three other friends, including his girlfriend, was shot when two people nearby started arguing with one of them pulling out a gun and shooting at least three people, including Mares.
Mares was shot in the abdomen and side, and was rushed a hospital but died, NBC 6 reported.
The other two victims, described as La Perla locals remain at hospital.
Mares was in Puerto Rico and his entourage had gone to see the popular local rapper perform in a 30-show residency that’s drawn thousands of US tourists to the Caribbean island and US territory.
Bad Bunny fan had been planning on proposing to his longtime girlfriend
As the night progressed, the man’s long time girlfriend, Andy Arguello grew tired and went back to their hotel, but Mares stayed out with friends.
The shooting occurred at a club called Refugio de Hombres Maltratados (Shelter for Mistreated Men), cops said.
The tragedy comes as the victim had been planning to propose to his longtime girlfriend in the fall according to the nydailynews.
Mares according to his family was studying to be a veterinarian, and his parents say when he wasn’t studying, he was working two part-time jobs.
His family says Mares was a big fan of Bad Bunny, and he, his girlfriend and his friend had been looking forward to their trip to Puerto Rico for months.
Mares’ parents are asking anybody with information about the shooting to come forward, CBS News reported. ‘We want justice,’ mother Sandra Mares told the outlet.
No leads, suspect, no arrests in tragedy shooting
A GoFundme described Mares as a ‘deeply loved son, devoted friend, and a source of inspiration to everyone who knew him’ in a GoFundMe created to help cover the expenses to bring his body back home.
‘His wholehearted kindness, adventurous spirit, and unwavering commitment to family made him a pillar of strength for his loved ones,’ the fundraising page read, adding that Mares was planning to propose to his girlfriend of six years in the fall.
‘Family was at the center of everything he did, and his sudden passing has left an unfillable void in our lives,’ loved ones wrote on the page.
His shooter remains at large, local police told NBC 6.
San Juan detective Sgt. Arnaldo Ruiz said police don’t yet know what the people were arguing about and don’t have a description of the shooter. ‘We have very little information,’ the official said.
La Perla, Peurto Rico notorious violent hot spot
La Perla has been dogged by a reputation for crime and violence for decades.
It used to be a hotbed for drug dealing, and the danger for outsiders was so severe that police would keep out of the neighborhood and even posted signs advising people, ‘Not open to visitors. Do not enter.’
Violence eased when hundreds of federal agents raided the slum in 2011 and arrested dozens of people, including a well-known community leader who was later convicted.
Nevertheless violence in the notorious community continued.
In 2023, two tourists were stabbed after somebody became angry that they were filming in the neighborhood, and in 2024, a Delaware tourist was murdered and set on fire after a drug deal gone wrong. Police said the victims were trying to take pictures of La Perla after being warned not to do so.
The island of 3.2 million people has reported 277 killings so far this year, compared with 325 killings in the same period last year.
