David Ortiz out of ICU, wife says he is in ‘good condition’
Yesterday, Major League Baseball and the Red Sox shared a statement from Tiffany Ortiz, wife of retired Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, following the iconic slugger being gunned down in his native Dominican Republic on June 9:
“David was moved out of the intensive care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. He remains in good condition and continues to recover under the care of Drs. David King and Larry Ronan.”
The 43-year-old Ortiz, a.k.a. “Big Papi,” was sitting in a Santo Domingo nightclub earlier this month when he was shot in the back.
See: Red Sox legend David Ortiz shot in the back in Santo Domingo nightclub
While sitting with friends at that nightclub, a man on a motorcycle drove up and shot Ortiz in the back at point blank range. The bullet that struck the baseball legend in his lower back exited through his stomach.
Surveillance video from Sunday night shows a motorcyclist approach Ortiz, seated with friends at a bar in downtown Santo Domingo, shooting him once in the back at nearly point-blank range. The 43-year-old fell from his stool while Dominican police say the driver, 25-year-old Eddy Feliz Garcia, was chased down by a group of witnesses and severely beaten before he was ultimately arrested. The alleged gunman is still on the loose.
Ortiz was driven to the hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery to remove his gallbladder, parts of his intestine and liver ~ CBS News
One night after the shooting, the Red Sox commissioned a private jet to serve as an air ambulance and flew Ortiz back to his adopted home of Boston so that he could receive follow up medical treatment at Mass General Hospital.
See: David Ortiz recovering in Boston after being flown from Dominican Republic by Red Sox
The 10-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion has received an outpouring of support — both within the baseball world and beyond — as he continues to recover in the city where he wrote his legacy in a Red Sox uniform. ~ The Red Sox
Police in the Dominican Republic informed the media that they believe a “hit” was put out on Ortiz. They believe the man who was hired to arrange that hit has been identified as Alberto Miguel Rodriguez Mota. Authorities there have now arrested 10 suspects associated with the Big Papi’s shooting, “ all of whom have been ordered to spend one year in preventive prison as the investigation continues,” according to NBC News.
For more on the shooting update for Ortiz, see the video accompanying this article.
~ Written by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
Also see:
- Cardi B indicted on felony charges following strip club brawl
- Detectives ask for help identifying culprit responsible for shooting family pet
- Machado suspended after home plate meltdown; Umps say his violent behavior sets a bad example
- Arrest made in shooting murder of ex-Senator Linda Collins-Smith
