BOSTON, MA — It appears David Ortiz is out of the woods after the Red Sox icon was shot in the Dominican Republic earlier this month. Ortiz on Saturday was released from the intensive care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, his wife, Tiffany, announced.
“He remains in good condition and continues to recover under the care of Drs. David King and Larry Ronan,” Tiffany Ortiz said in a statement.
Ortiz was shot June 9 in his native Dominican Republic. Authorities said a gunman mistook him for another individual who was the target of an assassination plot. The gunman shot Ortiz through the back and the bullet tore through his stomach, nearly killing the 43-year-old former slugger. Doctors removed part of Ortiz’s colon, intestines and gallbladder to save his life.
The mastermind behind the shooting was identified as Victor Hugo Gomez, a fugitive involved in Mexico’s Gulf Cartel. Authorities have not divulged a possible motive. Accused gunman Rolfi Ferreira Cruz shot Ortiz on the patio of Dial Bar and Lounge, prosecutors said. He was sitting with friend David Fernandez and Jhoel Lopez, a Dominican television personality. The bullet passed through Ortiz and also hit Lopez in the leg. Lopez’s injuries were minor.
Fernandez was the intended target of the shooting, prosecutors said.
Dominican authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with the shooting and expect to arrest more.