A 25-year-old U.S. tourist from New York was fatally shot in Puerto Rico early Sunday, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
The victim, identified as Kevin Mares, was struck in the abdomen in a shooting at a nightclub and later died in the hospital from his injuries.
Mares had traveled to the San Juan area to attend a Bad Bunny concert schedule for Sunday as part of the singer’s residency, according to AP.
Newsweek reached out to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau via email Sunday during non-working hours for more information.
Why it Matters
The death of a U.S. tourist visiting for a concert underscores concerns about visitor safety and local crime trends on an island that depends heavily on tourism revenue.
Bad Bunny’s residency at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, which started in July and runs until September 11, draws thousands of fans, increasing the number of visitors in San Juan neighborhoods.
What To Know
Mares and three other people were at a club in a nightspot known locally as “Shelter for Mistreated Men” in La Perla, a neighborhood in San Juan, AP reported.
The shooting occurred at 4 a.m. local time after an argument and injured two other people, Sergeant Arnaldo Ruiz, of the Homicide Division of the Criminal Investigation Corps of San Juan told local news outlet El Nuevo Dia.
Ruiz said the other two people injured, a 45-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man, were siblings.
Mares was found with gunshot wounds and taken to Río Piedras Medical Center, Ruiz told El Nuevo Dia.
Puerto Rico recorded 277 killings so far this year, down from 325 in the same period last year, according to the AP.
La Perla has a documented history of drug trafficking and violence, and federal law-enforcement action in 2011 produced arrests and a decline in some criminal activity, though isolated violent incidents have continued to occur there.
The neighborhood gained broader visibility after it appeared in the music video for the 2017 hit “Despacito,” which contributed to perceptions that parts of Old San Juan had become more tourist-friendly, according to the AP.
What People Are Saying
Sgt. Arnaldo Ruiz, a homicide detective with the Puerto Rico Police Department told El Nuevo Dia: “We are still very preliminary to establish a motive for the facts. We cannot rule out anything while the interviews are completed.”
What Happens Next
Police continue to investigate, interview witnesses and search for the shooter; authorities have not yet released a suspect description.
Local prosecutors will make a decision on charges once investigators identified a suspect and established a motive.
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