A tragic shooting early Sunday claimed the life of a 25-year-old U.S. tourist visiting Puerto Rico to attend one of Bad Bunny’s concerts. The victim, Kevin Mares of New York, was fatally shot in La Perla, a seaside neighborhood in Old San Juan, according to local police.
The incident took place in the early morning hours at a bar called “Shelter for Mistreated Men,” located within La Perla—a coastal community known for its history of crime but also for its recent efforts to become more tourist-friendly.
According to homicide detective Sgt. Arnaldo Ruiz, the shooting broke out after a group of people near Mares got into an argument. One of them pulled out a gun and opened fire, hitting at least three individuals. Mares, who was not involved in the argument, was an innocent bystander. He was with three friends, also from New York, who told police they had traveled to Puerto Rico for Bad Bunny’s concert residency.
Mares was struck on the left side of his abdomen and rushed to the island’s largest public hospital, where he later died.
Two other men, both residents of La Perla, were also injured and remain hospitalized. Police say they currently have little information about the suspect or what triggered the altercation. No arrests have been made.
La Perla sits on the edge of Old San Juan, a district popular with both tourists and locals. While once known as a major drug trafficking hub, the neighborhood had seen a turnaround following a major federal raid in 2011, which led to dozens of arrests and a significant drop in violence.
The area gained positive attention after appearing in the music video for “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, and has since become a tourist stop. However, occasional violent incidents continue to cast a shadow.
In February 2023, three tourists were stabbed after allegedly being told to stop filming. In another case from April 2024, a 24-year-old man from Delaware was killed and his body set on fire after he and a friend were attacked during a drug-related incident. Police said they had been warned not to take pictures of the area.
So far this year, Puerto Rico, home to about 3.2 million people, has reported 277 homicides—down from 325 at this same point last year.
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