Kevin Mares, 25, shot and killed at a La Perla pool party in Puerto Rico while attending a Bad Bunny trip; family seeks answers and repatriation.
Kevin Mares, a 25-year-old from Queens, New York, who flew to Puerto Rico to see Bad Bunny’s residency, was shot and killed early on August 10 while at a poolside party in La Perla, a seaside neighborhood near Old San Juan.
According to TMZ, Police say the attack erupted after an argument between several people; someone produced a gun and fired, striking Mares and at least two local men. Mares was taken to Puerto Rico’s largest public hospital and later died.
Friends and family described Mares as a warm, family-oriented young man. His mother, Sandra, confirmed his death after receiving videos he sent from the trip; loved ones say he enjoyed gardening and cooking and was studying to become a veterinarian at LaGuardia Community College in New York.
The family has launched a GoFundMe to bring his body home and cover funeral expenses. Sandra told reporters she hopes Bad Bunny will acknowledge her son during the concert, and the group who traveled with Mares said they will not attend the show.
Authorities gave a preliminary timeline: the shooting occurred in the predawn hours at a nightspot in La Perla identified in news reports as “Shelter for Mistreated Men” (also referenced as a local nightspot), with one witness statement and police reports indicating multiple people were struck.
Homicide investigators said there is no known motive yet and the shooter remains at large as detectives comb security footage and interview witnesses. San Juan officials noted La Perla’s complicated history — the area has become more tourist-facing in recent years but still faces occasional violence.
The loss has rippled through Mares’s tight-knit circle: social-media tributes poured in from friends and his girlfriend, some sharing plans the couple had made — including a reported plan to propose later this year. Local and federal authorities urged anyone with information or footage from the La Perla area early on August 10 to step forward as investigations continue.
Mares was 25. His family and friends continue to seek answers, and the case stands as a grim reminder of how a night meant for music turned tragic for one young man and those who loved him.
