Photo Credit: Sandra Mares
A 25-year-old New York man, identified as Kevin Mares, was fatally shot in Puerto Rico while visiting for a Bad Bunny concert. Authorities say Mares, who was from Queens, was an innocent bystander caught in gunfire during the early hours of Sunday in La Perla, a coastal neighbourhood of San Juan.
Police reported the shooting occurred around 4:13 a.m. at a nightspot called "Refuge for Mistreated Men." According to homicide detective Sgt. Arnaldo Ruiz, they have very little information. He said the incident began when several people nearby started arguing, and one pulled out a gun, striking at least three people, including Mares. A man and woman in their 40s, both residents of La Perla, were also injured and remain hospitalized. The shooter remains at large.
Mares had travelled with his girlfriend and friends to attend one of Bad Bunny's 30-show residency performances. His mother, Sandra, said her son was a "massive Bad Bunny fan" and had been planning the trip for about a year. She confirmed through a translator that he had sent her videos from a pool party and the view from his hotel room earlier that day.
Originally from East Elmhurst, Queens, Mares was studying veterinary science at LaGuardia Community College while working two part-time jobs. His father, Hector, said, "He got a lot of dreams. He was working as a vet technician. And at the same time he was studying." The family shared that Mares loved animals, enjoyed gardening and cooking, and had planned to propose to his girlfriend of six years in the fall.
His parents say his girlfriend stayed behind at the hotel on the night of the shooting, while Mares went out with her brother and a friend. "We told him just stay in the hotel and that's in the resort," Hector said. Sandra added, "But they're young. When you're young, sometimes you don't think."
Loved ones described him in a fundraising page as "a deeply loved son, devoted friend, and a source of inspiration to everyone who knew him," adding that "family was at the centre of everything he did." The GoFundMe aims to cover costs to return his body to the United States.
San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero has pledged to share security footage to aid the investigation. The Mares family is urging anyone with information to come forward, saying they want justice.
