SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico. – The reggaeton player Cuban José Manuel Carvajal, known artistically as El Taiger, died this Thursday, October 10, at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where he remained in critical condition after being shot in the head.
The news was confirmed in a story on his Instagram profile, almost at 1:00 p.m. this Thursday. “Sadly, this afternoon, El Taiger was pronounced dead and has now been reunited with his beloved mother in heaven,” the statement reported.
Likewise, it indicates that the family of the Cuban reggaeton singer thanks the medical team at Jackson Memorial Hospital for “their tireless efforts, as well as the millions who offered prayers and tributes during his hospitalization.”
“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,” the statement also states.
Finally, “Although this news is both shocking and heartbreaking, we encourage “El Taiger fans to honor his memory by celebrating the joy he brought to so many.”
“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,” the statement said.
Marcel Reinosa, the manager of the popular Cuban reggaeton artist, had previously reported that the artist “was fighting for his life” and was under artificial respiration. “The official condition is that he is critical,” Reinosa said in an interview with Enrique Santos.
Taiger was found Thursday morning in the back of an SUV, with a gunshot wound to his forehead. The Police of Miami reported that the vehicle was found just a few blocks from the hospital, suggesting that someone attempted to take him to receive medical care, but abandoned him before arriving. “They found his body in the trunk of the car and apparently someone was driving. “They tried, I guess they tried to take him to the hospital, but they didn’t and they just left him a couple of blocks from Jackson,” Reinosa detailed.
The shot that El Taiger received entered through the front of his head and exited through the right side. Despite the severity of the injury, Reinosa explained that the brain damage has been limited: “They shot him in the front of the head and it came out the side on the right side, it did not affect the left side, only the right. The part of the brain that recognizes people and memory is intact until now, it is still a miracle that it has survived, that it is alive.” However, his condition remains very delicate, and doctors have warned that the prognosis is uncertain.
After El Taiger’s condition was known, speculation arose on social networks about a possible suicide attempt. Both Reinosa and Nelson Martínez, the reggaeton singer’s former manager, have completely denied these rumors. “That is false, completely false,” Martínez stated, adding that El Taiger “loved life, he is not going to kill himself.” For his part, Reinosa reinforced this version by saying: “I can’t say that he took his life because he was in the trunk of the car, so how would he take his life?”
