SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Former Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was ambushed by a man who got off a motorcycle and shot him in the back at nearly point-blank range Sunday night in his native Dominican Republic, authorities said.
Dominican National Police Director Ney Aldrin Bautista Almonte said Ortiz was at the Dial Bar and Lounge in Santo Domingo around 8:50 p.m. when the gunman approached from behind and shot him. Ortiz was taken to a medical facility where he underwent surgery, and his condition was stable, Bautista said.
The gunman was captured by a crowd of people at the bar and beaten by them, Bautista said. He said police are waiting until the man undergoes treatment for his injuries before questioning him.
Jhoel Lopez, a Dominican TV host, was with Ortiz when he was shot. Bautista said Lopez was also wounded, apparently by the same bullet.
Ortiz's father, Leo, said authorities informed him about the shooting but didn't provide details.
"They called to tell me that David is injured and that they took him to a medical center, but they did not tell me how he is or exactly where he was transferred," Leo Ortiz told ESPN.com.
The 43-year-old Ortiz hit 541 homers in 20 major league seasons, the first six with the Twins and the last 14 with the Red Sox after the Twins elected to release him. He helped lead Boston to three World Series titles and retired after the 2016 season. He was a 10-time All-Star and two-time World Series MVP, in 2004 and 2013.
