A man who, according to friends, is a popular Cuban performer, is fighting for his life after he was shot in Miami.
City of Miami Police units responded to reports of a shooting near Jackson Memorial Hospital, in the area of Ninth Avenue and Northwest 17th Street, at around 7 a.m. on Thursday.
According to investigators, officers arrived to find the man in the back seat of a black Mercedes-Benz SUV, unconscious and suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
It remains unclear whether the wound was self-inflicted or whether the person was shot at.
The man was rushed to JMH’s Ryder Trauma Center where, officials said, he is listed in critical condition.
Friends of the victim who gathered outside JMH told 7News the man is popular reggaeton artist El Taiger from Cuba.
El Taiger, born José Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar, has over a million followers on Instagram.
However, as of late Thursday night, Miami Police have not confirmed the man’s identity.
7News cameras captured more than a dozen friends of the victim outside the hospital. Among them were other singers, like members of the Cuban group Gente de Zona.
“This is a very strong hit, not only for me, but for all of the Cubans who follow [El Taiger’s] music,” said singer Alexander Delgado through a translator.
“He’s gotta come back. I’m here waiting for him,” said Randy Martinez.
El Taiger’s former manager, Nelson Martinez, does not believe the head wound was self-inflicted.
“This guy loved life. He’s not gonna kill himself. He had a lot of gold, he had over $100,000 worth of jewelry on him,” he said. “Bad neighborhood, apparently they found him close to here.”
El Taiger lives in Miami, where he performs, and he would often go back to Cuba for shows.
Hours later, the crowd outside JMH continued to grow, as his friends and fans pray he makes a strong recovery.
“They have him on life support, and apparently the bullet did a lot of damage to one side of his brain, but the other side is intact,” said Nelson Martinez. “Good guy, he’s a great guy. He was friends with everybody.”
Officers temporarily shut down Northwest 17th Street between Eighth and 10th Avenues while they conducted their investigation. The roadway has since reopened to traffic.
El Taiger’s friends told 7News they’re trying to get a humanitarian visa for his cousin to come to South Florida and give him one more reason to fight through this.
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Source: wsvn
