NYC Man Kevin Mares Tragically Shot and Killed in Puerto Rico While Visiting for Bad Bunny’s Residency — Here’s What We Know
A New York family is grappling with the sudden loss of their loved one who was vacationing in Puerto Rico. Kevin Mares was visiting the island to see Bad Bunny in concert when he was shot and killed in the La Perla neighborhood just outside of Old San Juan. The shooting has been deemed accidental, but an investigation is still ongoing. Here’s what we know so far.
New York man Kevin Mares was shot and killed while visiting Puerto Rico
Kevin Mares, 25, was visiting Puerto Rico to attend Bad Bunny’s “No me quiero ir de aquí” residency with friends and his long-term girlfriend. According to ABC7, Mares was shot and killed in the early morning hours on Sunday, August 10. Mares was out late with friends after a party at his hotel rooftop earlier in the night when they stumbled across a group of people fighting. According to NBC News, a person involved in the altercation drew a firearm and opened fire, during which Mares was struck in the abdomen.
“My son, everybody loves him, everybody,” Hector Mares, Kevin’s father, told NBC New York. “He was doing good at school, he was working. When he came home from work, he started taking care of his, his pets, and he loves cooking.”
Homicide detective Sgt. Arnaldo Ruiz acknowledged that Kevin was an innocent bystander when he was shot and killed. Three people were shot during the incident, including Kevin. The other two people remain in the hospital after the shooting.
Police arrested a man named Kenneth Giovanni Estrada Meléndez in connection with the shooting. According to the New York Post, Meléndez was tracked down on Monday. He was wanted for a drug charge from 2022. It is believed that he was the intended target in the shooting that killed Kevin.
Kevin was a young man building his future
Kevin’s parents told the media that he had a lot of plans in the coming months. The biggest plan was proposing to his girlfriend of seven years, who was on the trip with him. His parents shared that he told them he was going to propose to her this fall.
Additionally, Kevin was a student at LaGuardia Community College. He was studying veterinary sciences and planned on becoming a veterinarian. His father confirmed to ABC7 that Kevin was working as a veterinarian tech while going to school.
According to the New York Post, Angy Nicole Arguello, Kevin’s girlfriend, shared her own messages about her boyfriend on social media. In an Instagram Story, Arguello shared a photo of Kevin with the text “I love you, my angel 💔.” In a follow-up post, Arguello’s heartbreak is apparent as she writes, in Spanish, “My love, I love you. ❤️ I miss you so much. 💔 Why, God, did you take him away from me?💔”
Family and friends remember Kevin as a loving man with a bright future ahead of him. His family is raising money to bring his body back to the mainland. At the time of this writing, the GoFundMe Hector started has raised more than $38,000.
