A 35-year-old Ohio native living in Puerto Rico was fatally shot during a solo camping trip near the forest-isolated Playa la Selva on the island’s remote northeastern coast. Wilkin had warned his friends about a man he labeled as “the howler.” Before his death, Wilkin had told friends about an unidentified man he referred to as “the howler.” According to those close to him, Wilkin gave the man the nickname because he repeatedly howled like a wolf near the campsite. Wilkin had relocated to Puerto Rico in January 2024 in pursuit of his free and adventurous lifestyle.