Gay rapper Kevin Fret was shot dead Thursday as he rode a motorbike in Puerto Rico.

According to Noticentro.tv, the 24-year-old Fret was shot eight times, including in the head, as he rode through the Santurce neighborhood of San Juan around 5:20 in the morning.

Fret was known as the first openly gay artist in the Latin trap subgenre, which originated in Puerto Rico.

In a Facebook post, Puerto Rico Trans Youth Coalition said that Fret's murder “could be described as a hate crime.”

“With his colorful and empowered show, Fret disobeyed many of the expectations of hegemonic masculinity that dominate the trap genre," the group wrote.

"Kevin broke many barriers and served as a necessary representation, denouncing without filter the homophobia of colleagues in artistic scenes notorious for their machismo and misogyny."

Noticentro.tv reported that a war between drug gangs has resulted in an increase in violent crime.

Eduardo Rodriguez, Fret's manager, said in a statement: "Kevin was an artistic soul, a big-hearted dreamer. His passion was music, and still had a lot to do. This violence must stop. There are no words that describe the feeling we have and the pain that causes us to know that a person with so many dreams has to go. We must all unite in these difficult times, and ask for much peace for our beloved Puerto Rico."