Imagine having a U.S. president in office who was actually personable and approachable. This week, former but widely missed President Barack Obama took to Twitter to express support for former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz, who was shot the previous day at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic, where he’s from.
Obama shared:
‘Six years ago, David Ortiz’s spirit and resolve helped us all begin to heal from the Boston Marathon bombing. Today, I want to join many others in wishing him a speedy recovery of his own. Get well soon, Papi.’
The message accompanied a photo of then-President Obama welcoming Ortiz along with the rest of his then-team to the White House in 2013 after they won the World Series. At the time, Obama credited the Boston Red Sox with helping lead their hometown away from the horrors of the bombing attack on the Boston Marathon that had unfolded the year before, killing several people and wounding many more. Besides those tangible human tolls, the attack left the city on edge for days as authorities hunted the pair of perpetrators, one of whom ended up dying after a shootout with police while the other has been sentenced to death for their role in the terror.
Although firearms were not used in that attack, Obama has previously and repeatedly at this point spoken about the close attention he paid to gun violence incidents of the same sort that claimed American lives. He’s said that one of the greatest regrets of his presidency is being unable to assure parents of children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that there would be some kind of tangible gun policy reform soon incoming.
Back in the present, Ortiz has been reported to be in stable condition following surgery to address his wounds, which included being shot in the back through his internal organs. As of early Monday, it was unclear why the former baseball star had been targeted, although one of those responsible for the attack was in local police custody — after having been beat up by a crowd of locals.
Check out Twitter’s response to Obama stepping into the story below.
Featured Image via screenshot
