BELOVED reggaeton star El Taiger posted about “dying alone” in a now-heartbreaking video just days before he was fatally shot in the forehead.
Cops are still hunting for the killer who shot the 37-year-old rapper and left him to bleed out in a black Mercedes-Benz.
Beloved reggaeton star El Taiger has been shot to death in Miami, Florida, and cops are looking for his killer[/caption]
Damien Valdez-Galloso is wanted by cops over the shooting[/caption]
On October 3, El Taiger, whose real name is Jose Manuel Carbajal Zaldivar, was found suffering from a deadly gunshot in a hospital parking lot in Miami, Florida.
He was raced into the hospital and survived for nearly a week until he tragically died from his injuries on Thursday.
Detectives found El Taiger in the back of the blood-soaked car and determined that he’d been murdered.
Now, they want to talk to Damien Valdez-Galloso, 49, about the shooting and are offering $5,000 to anyone who can tell them where he is.
Little is known about the events that led up to the shooting, but those close to El Taiger have deemed it a “senseless violent crime” in a statement shared on his social media accounts.
“El Taiger was pronounced dead and is now reunited with his beloved mother in heaven,” the emotional message said.
Days before the shooting, the rapper shared a cryptic video of himself driving on Instagram and captioned it, “Never forget.”
In the video, he kept a straight face while a voiceover said, “We’re born alone, and we die alone.
“And this world places a lot of obstacles that make us forget that. But I never forget.”
Heartbroken fans were moved by the now-tragic message and flooded his comment section with emotional condolences.
El Tigre had a massive following, amassing 1 million Instagram followers and hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify.
He released a song, El Punto, days before he was shot.
INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED
Fans and family members are desperate for an answer on what happened to the singer, but cops have little to share.
What they do know is that the shooting didn’t happen inside the car, and they’re investigating where it took place and why he was driven to the hospital.
“Someone drove it there, left it and left on foot,” Miami police spokesperson Mike Vega said.
Last Friday, SWAT teams were seen outside Galloso’s home, but cops still haven’t found him.
The person of interest has a dark criminal past, as he had sex with a minor and was registered as a sex offender, according to records seen by NBC affiliate WTVJ.
He’s also served jail time for false imprisonment and was arrested for grand theft in 2021.
“It’s vital […] to secure the assistance of the public at large to make sure we’re able to get justice for El Taiger,” Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales told reporters Monday.
RAPPER MOURNED
A crowd of mourning supporters gathered for a vigil outside the hospital where he was found to sing and pray in his honor.
“He was my friend,” Jonathan Esponda told Fox affiliate WSVN from the spot where the singer was found fighting for his life.
“He was big for our community, really big in our community.”
Another fan, Daniel Andran, said, “Really important for us, because his music, he made a change.”
In the statement shared on Instagram, El Taigre’s team thanked fans for the music and said, “These last few days have been incredibly difficult for those who loved him, and the support received from around the world has meant a lot.
“Turn up your music, dance, and celebrate your life.
“The Taiger was the feeling of the people, and now we must keep that feeling alive through their music and their legacy.”
Fans gathered outside the hospital to mourn his loss[/caption]
