photo credit: Matt Trommer // Shutterstock
Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz, aka Big Papi, has been shot while at a nightclub on Sunday night while in the Dominican Republic.
David was in the bar and lounge when a gunman burst into the place and opened fire, hitting David once in the lower back/abdominal region. According to ESPN, the bullet is said to have exited through his stomach. A doctor working on David has said everything was going well with surgery and David is currently “out of danger.”
Cops say the shooting was “nearly point-blank range.” The shooting was caught on surveillance video, showing the gunman pull up on the street and firing at David from behind while he was eating at a table.
When he arrived to the hospital, David reportedly told his doctors, “Please don’t let me die. I’m a good man.”
A police official has also told local media the incident was not a “robbery,” but would not give a possible motive for the incident. The suspect has reportedly been arrested.
Ortiz was born in Santo Domingo and grew up in the D.R. before moving to the United States to play baseball after signing with the Seattle Mariners at the age of 17. Ortiz went on to play 20 seasons in the big leagues, becoming a Boston legend in the process, leading the Red Sox to 3 World Series titles. He was the World Series MVP in 2013.
Ortiz was a 10-time All-Star during his pro baseball career and his #34 jersey has already been retired by the Sox.
Red Sox posted a statement on Twitter Sunday night, saying, “David’s family has confirmed that he sustained a gunshot wound to the lower back/abdominal region. David is being treated at Clinica Abel Gonzalez in Santo Domingo where he is recovering after surgery. We have offered David’s family all available resources to aid in his recovery and will continue to keep them in our hearts.”
Source TMZ