Peruvian salsa singer Engerberth Tapia and his 9-year-old son were shot while riding inside the family's truck in Callao, Peru, on Saturday, September 12, 2026. Tapia recovered quickly from his own wounds, but his son has not been as fortunate and remains in the intensive care unit, still awaiting a decision on surgery to remove a bullet lodged in his lung.
Tapia speaks about his son's condition
In an interview with journalist Magaly Medina on Monday, September 14, Tapia described his anguish over his young son's health. He had taken the boy to Europe just days before the attack. Tapia said the child still had not been discharged from intensive care and that the family was waiting to see how his condition developed.
Bullet wounds and a son's words
On the television program 'Magaly TV, la firme', Tapia showed the bullet wounds he suffered to his body and face, but said none of his organs had been damaged. He also recounted, his voice breaking, what his son said to him in the middle of the attack. He said that as he was driving to escape the gunfire, his son told him he wanted him to know that he had always loved him and always would.
Son wants to leave Peru
Tapia said his son, who bore the worst of the attack, had also told him he no longer wanted to live in Peru and wanted to leave the country. The singer said the words reflected how deeply the shooting had affected the boy.
Criticism of the police response
Tapia also voiced frustration at what he described as a lack of support from Peruvian authorities. He said that as of Monday, police had still not come to his home, and that he was relying only on private security. He thanked the mayor of Callao for providing security camera footage from the area.
The singer additionally acknowledged that he had received extortion messages before the shooting but never reported them to police. He said he had always kept the threats private because he believed they were part of a media stunt rather than a genuine danger. He said he now regretted not having taken action sooner, adding that he unfortunately had been forced to face the consequences.
