Kevin Mares was fatally shot early Sunday morning at a nightspot in La Perla, an infamous settlement outside of Old San Juan's sea wall. Police say he was an innocent bystander.
Kevin shared video of a beautiful beach view and pool party at his hotel on Saturday night, but it was when he and some friends wandered off the resort grounds into La Perla that they were suddenly in danger.
"They were walking, and then across the street, it was like a bunch of bunch of people, arguing and they start fighting each other. So one of them, they took out a gun. So he starts shooting, like random," said his mother, Sandra Mares.
"And my son was across the street and he got shot in the abdomen," added his father, Hector Mares.
Kevin's parents are originally from Mexico but he was born and raised in Queens, with one younger brother.
He loved animals, like his dog, Jessie, and wanted to be a veterinarian. He was studying at LaGuardia Community College.
"He got a lot of dreams. He was working as a vet technician. And at the same time he was studying," added his father.
He had been dating his girlfriend for several years.
"He was about to propose to her, this fall. Yeah. He wants to do something special. He shared that with us," said his mother.
His girlfriend was in Puerto Rico with him, but stayed at the hotel after the party while he and her brother and a friend ventured out -- something his parents say they'd warned him not to do.
"We told him just stay in the hotel and that's in the resort," his father said.
"But they're young. When you're young, sometimes you don't think," added his mother.
On Sunday night the Mares family got support from loved ones, surrounded with photos of happy memories.
"He was a lovely son. He cared. He cared about all of us, his family, friends. He has a lot of friends who's really going to miss him, too," said his mother.
The Mares family is hoping for an arrest in the shooting that detectives told them also wounded a man and woman in their 40s.
They desperately want his body returned home to Queens as quickly as possible. Right now it's being held in Puerto Rico in the ongoing investigation.
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