Dominican Republic police: Suspects were hired to shoot David Ortiz; six detained

Dominican Republic police director Ney Aldrin Bautista said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon that the suspects in the shooting of David Ortiz had been hired to do so.

According to Bautista, a group of criminals had charged 400,000 Dominican pesos (about $7,800) to shoot the former Boston Red Sox star.

The authorities did not disclose a motive that led to the planning of the attack and did not specify who it was that was paying for the shooting.

Six suspects have been detained – including the alleged gunman – in connection to the attack on Ortiz, which took place at a bar in Santo Domingo on Sunday night.

"(Authorities) are making a great effort to apprehend these criminals and bring these criminals to justice," prosecutor Jean Alain Rodríguez told reporters.

Ortiz's wife Tiffany said in a statement Wednesday that Ortiz was "making good progress towards recovery" at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Rodríguez asked for "patience" as the investigation continues. 

"Remember that our country is a country of friendly people who have solidarity with the people's institutions that work to guarantee security," Rodriguez said.

Bautista said investigators are in the process of analyzing scientific evidence.

"We are not even at 72 hours (since the shooting) and you see the advances we have made and certainly that will continue," Bautista added. 

Contributing: Associated Press