Kevin Fret was shot dead on Thursday (January 10) morning (kevin fret/facebook)

Kevin Fret, a 24-year-old gay trap artist, has been shot and killed in Puerto Rico.

The musician was shot several times at around 5:30am local time on Thursday (January 11) while on his motorbike in the Santurce neighbourhood of San Juan, according to El Nuevo Dia.

Fret, who was hailed by many as the first openly gay Latin trap artist, died after being taken to the Medical Centre of Rio Piedras.

“Kevin was an artistic soul, a big-hearted dreamer” — Eduardo Rodriguez, manager of Kevin Fret

Police on the American island have told CBS News that Fret’s murder is the 22nd reported homicide in the first 10 days of 2019.

Fret’s manager, Eduardo Rodriguez, told Billboard: “Kevin was an artistic soul, a big-hearted dreamer. His passion was music, and [he] still had a lot to do.

“This violence must stop,” he continued. “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.”

The “Soy Asi” singer had previously spoken out about wanting to open the door for queer musicians to make it as trap artists.

Fans pay tribute to Kevin Fret

The tributes have poured in for Fret after his tragic death, with fans writing comments like: “At a loss for words RIP Kevin Fret” and “My heart hurts I’m so sorry this happened to you. RIP #KevinFret.”

One person paid their respects by writing: “RIP to the incredibly talented Kevin Fret, the first openly gay Latin Trapero from Puerto Rico.

“His unapologetic presence meant so much for the LGBTQ+ community and the future of Latin Trap… Thank you for always speaking and living your truth Kevin. Te amo para siempre (I love you forever) ♥️.”

Others explained more of what made Fret so special, with one fan tweeting: “Kevin Fret was known not only for his music style but also an image that was breaking gender norms in #PuertoRico and stigma about being gay, gender nonconforming, and expressing gender identity freely—in a country where gay people still get mocked, bullied and killed.”

His uncompromising approach to expressing his sexuality was praised, for instance by a fan who wrote that he was “a true inspiration to many.

“Some people need the confidence you had. You didn’t deserve what happened to you. Puerto Rico and many other people will miss you.

“Being openly gay where you were from had to be tough. We are glad of what u did 4 PR .”