David Ortiz Shares First-Hand Account Of Shooting For First Time
David Ortiz seems to be well along the road to recovery since he was shot in the Dominican Republic on June 9.
The retired Red Sox legend made his first public appearance in Boston last week, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before Monday night’s game against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Ortiz spoke publicly for the first time since his shooting there too.
And Ortiz also was ready to open up about the night he was shot for the first time, revisiting the night in a story with The Boston Globe.
Ortiz detailed what was going through his head the moment he was shot.
“I felt a burning sensation,” Ortiz told Bob Hohler. “I felt weird, like not myself, as I went down.”
The former slugger was seated at a patio bar when a gunman approached and fired a single bullet.
“People need to understand, this isn’t a movie where you get shot in the street and you’re back two minutes later,” Ortiz said. “No, I got shot and almost died. I only have one life to live. I can’t just go to the pharmacy and buy another one.”
Ortiz said he remembers being alert and knowing he had been shot, but did not know the extent of his injuries.
“I didn’t want to look at it, to be honest,” he said. “I don’t even remember how much I bled.”
Ortiz underwent surgery in the Dominican Republic before he was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where we has operated on two more times in the coming weeks. A number of suspects have been arrested in connection with Ortiz’s shooting. The slugger has hired former Boston police commissioner Ed Davis to investigate the shooting further.
“I want to find out who did this,’’ Ortiz said. “I’m not going to sit around and chill if there’s somebody out there who wants to kill me.’’