Authorities in the Dominican Republic say that former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz was not the target of a shooting on June 9 that left him seriously injured. Officials say the hit was ordered from the United States by Victor Hugo Gomez, who is an associate of the Gulf Cartel on another man who was sitting at the table with Ortiz.
Dominican Republic’s Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez says that Gomez wanted his cousin,Sixto David Fernández, dead for turning him in to authorities during a drug investigation in 2011.
Fernández was friends with Ortiz and owned an auto-repair shop in the area.
Authorities say the shooter, Rolfy Ferreyra, was shown a blurry photo of Fernández, taken minutes before the brazen attack. The picture was not well lit, and part of his body was obscured by a white freezer. On the night of the shooting, Ortiz was wearing white pants, and when Ferreyra walked up behind him, he did not realize he was shooting at the wrong person.
Police have arrested 11 people in connection with the case, including the gunman, the driver, and other accomplices who helped orchestrate the hit. Officials believe that Gomez is still in the United States, and the Drug Enforcement Administration is looking for him.
Ortiz remains hospitalized in Boston and is making slow progress. He is expected to make a full recovery.
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