David Ortiz Was Not Intended Target Of Shooting In Dominican Republic, Prosecutors Say
BOSTON (CBS) - Prosecutors in the Dominican Republic say evidence now shows that David Ortiz was not the intended target of attack the night he was shot.
"The objective of this attack was not David Ortiz, it was another person," Attorney General Jean Alain Rodriguez said Wednesday.
Investigators say the gunman hired to carry out the hit meant to shoot someone else who was sitting at Ortiz's table at the Dial Bar the night of the shooting.
"The target was a friend of David Ortiz," Rodriguez said. "The attack was specifically against Sixto David Fernandez."
Ortiz was shot once in the back. Doctors removed his gallbladder and part of his intestines before he was flown to Boston. His condition has been upgraded to "good," though he remains in intensive care at Massachusetts General Hospital.
David Ortiz's lawyer traveled to Boston Tuesday night to brief the Ortiz family in person ahead of Wednesday afternoon's press conference.
It's been ten days since Ortiz was shot in his native Dominican Republic and the investigation into why it happened has been exhaustive. There has been around the clock arrests and court appearances and the roundup of 11 suspects linked to an alleged murder for hire plot.
Police previously said the coordinator of the attack was offered 400,000 Dominican pesos, or about $7,800 to plan the shooting.
A press conference last week revealed surveillance video showing the group meeting before the attack and the weapon recovered by police.
In the following days the alleged shooter spoke from a holding cell saying Ortiz was never his target and that he was confused by the clothing.
Authorities have named Victor Hugo Gomez as the mastermind behind the attack. The intended target does not have a criminal record and owns an auto body shop on the island.
American authorities are helping to locate three suspects on the run.
