Hector “Macho” Camacho, 50, was shot tonight in Puerto Rico in a possible drive-by, and was rushed to a San Juan hospital trauma center for treatment. He is said to be in critical condition.
According to ESPN , “Camacho was shot in the face while in a car outside a bar in Bayamon, one of the cities that make up the San Juan metropolitan area.” Another man was killed in the incident, apparently the driver of Camacho’s car.
Police have arrested one suspect in the shooting.
The Boxing Scene website reports that “At around 7PM, a passing vehicle opened fire on a vehicle where Camacho was situated in the passenger’s seat. The driver was reportedly killed while Camacho suffered gunshot wounds to the neck and face.”
The former professional boxing champion won world titles in the 1980s in the super lightweight, lightweight, and junior welterweight divisions. His career record is 79-6-3.
AP reports that the hospital’s medical director indicated that “the bullet apparently struck [Camacho] in the jaw but exited his head and lodged in his right shoulder and fractured two vertebrae.”
CNN adds that according to the same official, “the boxer, who was trailed by drug and alcohol problems during a career that included some high-profile bouts, was at risk of paralysis from the shooting.”
As an active boxer, the LA Times contends, “Camacho was known for his colorful personality and style in the ring … His personality often overshadowed that he was a very good fighter who accomplished a great deal in the ring.”
