The father of a 25-year-old New York man, Kevin Mares, who was fatally shot during a trip to Puerto Rico for a Bad Bunny concert, is speaking publicly for the first time, describing his son as “a beautiful person” whose loss remains unbearable.
“It’s very hard,” said Hector Mares. “Yesterday was a hard day. We’re still in pain. He was a beautiful person.”
Kevin Mares, a Queens resident, had traveled to the island with his longtime girlfriend, Angy Nicole Arguello, to see the reggaeton star perform as part of a month-long residency. The couple had been together for seven years, and relatives said he planned to propose during the trip.
On Sunday night, Mares was at a bar in La Perla, a historic neighborhood along the coast of Old San Juan, when gunfire erupted during a dispute nearby. Police said Mares was not involved in the argument that preceded the shooting.
“Preliminarily, it was a dispute that had nothing to do with this tourist, which arose in front of this business in La Perla,” Sgt. Arnaldo Ruiz told Puerto Rico’s El Nuevo Día.
Mares and other bystanders were struck by bullets. He was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
“I’m just devastated,” Arguello told the Daily News. “I can’t believe it. I’m in denial.” She described Mares as a loyal partner and a friend who brought warmth to every room. “Any problem I had, he always had my back.”
In the days after the shooting, Arguello shared tributes on Instagram, writing, “My love, I love you. I miss you so much. Why, God, did you take him away from me?” alongside photos of the couple.
The Mares family launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the cost of returning his body to New York. By Monday afternoon, donations had exceeded $31,000.
Christina, a cousin who declined to give her last name, said the family is still waiting for his remains to be released and is frustrated by the delay. “We just want the body to come home. That’s what we’re working for.”
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
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