San Juan, Puerto Rico (AP) — A vacationer from the U.S. mainland who was visiting Puerto Rico for Bad Bunny’s residency was fatally shot early Sunday at La Perla, a widespread seaside shantytown, police mentioned.
The sufferer was recognized as Kevin Mares, a 25-year-old who lived in New York, in accordance to a police assertion.
The taking pictures occurred within the predawn hours at a nightspot referred to as “Refuge for Mistreated Men” in La Perla, a coastal group that has struggled to shed its darkish status.
Homicide detective Sgt. Arnaldo Ruiz mentioned in a cellphone interview that the taking pictures passed off when a number of individuals close to Mares started arguing and one pulled out a gun and shot not less than three individuals, together with Mares. A brother and a sister of their mid-40s who dwell in La Perla had been injured and stay hospitalized.
Ruiz mentioned Mares was an harmless bystander. He was with three different associates who advised police they had been in Puerto Rico for one in all Bad Bunny’s 30 concert events, which have attracted tens of 1000’s of holiday makers to the U.S. territory.
Mares was shot on the left aspect of his stomach and was taken to Puerto Rico’s largest public hospital, the place he died, authorities mentioned.
Ruiz mentioned police don’t but know what the individuals had been arguing about and don’t have a description of the shooter. “We have very little information,” he mentioned.
Ruiz added that Mares’ three associates additionally had been from New York. He didn’t have their hometowns.
San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero advised reporters Sunday that he would share footage from safety cameras within the space, including that Mares’ associate had opted not to go to la Perla with him.
Police mentioned the incident occurred at 4:13 a.m., although a municipal code permitted in 2023 states that approved companies in San Juan can solely serve or promote alcohol from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. from Sunday to Thursday, and up to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday if Monday is a vacation.
La Perla is positioned on the outskirts of a historic district widespread with vacationers often called Old San Juan. A couple hundred individuals dwell within the shantytown, which as soon as served as Puerto Rico’s largest distribution level for heroin and was recognized for its violence.
Police used to keep away from the group, which used to have a signal proclaiming, “Not open to visitors. Do not enter.”
But violence eased when a whole bunch of federal brokers raided the slum in 2011 and arrested dozens of individuals, together with a well-known group chief who was later convicted.
The neighborhood became even safer and more welcoming after Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featured it of their hit, “Despacito.”
But remoted violence persists.
In February 2023, three tourists were stabbed after police mentioned a particular person advised them to cease filming contained in the group.
Then in April 2024, a 24-year-old vacationer from Delaware was killed and his body set on fire after police mentioned he and a good friend had been attacked following a drug buy. Police mentioned the victims had been making an attempt to take footage of La Perla after being warned not to achieve this.
The island of three.2 million individuals has reported 277 killings to date this 12 months, in contrast with 325 killings in the identical interval final 12 months.