Cuban reggaeton artist El Taiger, real name Jose Manuel Carbajal Zadivar, is in critical condition after he was shot in the head in Miami on Thursday, Oct. 3, per a Miami Police Department Oct. 4 press conference.
Officers were alerted of the incident shortly after 7 a.m. and responded to NW 17th St. 10 Ave, where they discovered the musician was shot in the head inside a black Mercedes SUV. He was found in the third row of the car. First responders removed him by pulling him out of the trunk.
Zadivar was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. He underwent surgery, per the MPD, and was placed on life support, per CBS News Miami.
As of Friday morning, he remains in critical condition, per MPD. A rep for the singer, Carlos Alfaro, told NBC 6 that a surgeon said the singer suffered significant damage to his brain.
Miami police spokesperson Mike Vega told NBC 6 on Thursday that it has not been declared whether or not it was a self-inflicted wound. He added that there was no evidence that the shot was fired inside the car.
“Our officers are investigating because we think this didn’t happen in the city of Miami. We’re sure that it didn’t happen in that corner where the vehicle was found. This happened in another place; someone brought him here, left him and left on foot,” Vega said in Spanish. per NBC 6.
The singer’s manager, Macel Reinosa, told CBS News Miami that there is a person of interest, noting that it is someone who knows El Taiger and that the person allegedly called 9-1-1.
“Nobody in the team believes that he committed suicide, based on what they are saying on the bullet,” Reinosa said. “It was in the front of his head, so I would really doubt someone would shoot himself and then get on the back of the trunk by himself.”
El Taiger on November 22, 2017 in Coral Gables, Florida.
Johnny Louis/Getty
Morales said authorities are currently working to gather evidence and are not identifying suspects. Although he confirmed they identified the owner of the SUV the singer was found in, the MPD will not publicly identify the owner yet.
Additionally, the MPD has learned more details of the incident, but like the SUV owner, they will not disclose more information. Police interviewed a person of interest, but there are currently no suspects in custody, according to NBC 6.
“If we determine that the case is criminal in nature, then we don’t want to risk our ability to prosecute those who are responsible, bring them to justice and bring any type of justice to the family or the victim,” Morales said, per NBC 6.
MPD says anyone with information should call (305) 579-6111 or (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
