David Ortiz recovering from more surgery in Boston hospital after shooting
Former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is recovering in Boston from a two-hour exploratory surgery after he was shot at a bar in the Dominican Republic. Ortiz is expected to stay in intensive care for at least 48 hours, his spokesman Leo López told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Ortiz was flown to Boston on Monday in an air ambulance provided by the Red Sox after doctors removed his gallbladder and part of his intestine. The 43-year-old athlete's liver was also damaged in Sunday night's shooting, López told the AP.
Police said the driver of the motorcycle carrying the gunman was captured and beaten by a crowd of people at the bar. The gunman has not been arrested, and police said they do not yet have a motive.
Surveillance video showed a motorcyclist approaching Ortiz, who was seated with friends at a bar in downtown Santo Domingo, before a gunman shot him once in the back at nearly point-blank range.
Dominican police said 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, affectionately known as "Big Papi," is widely beloved in the Dominican Republic and is a source of national pride. He also remains popular in the U.S. after 20 seasons, 14 with the Red Sox that included three World Series titles.