A prominent California doctor has been shot dead in an ambush outside his Los Angeles clinic, but the motive for the deadly attack remains a mystery.
Hamid Mirshojae was shot and killed as he was walking to his car in the parking lot of Woodland Hills Medical Clinic and Emergency Room just after 5:30 p.m. on Friday, an hour after the office had closed. KTLA reported.
Los Angeles Police arrived 42 minutes later to find the 61-year-old doctor suffering from a gunshot wound next to a white SUV.
Mirshoje, who worked as a primary care physician and emergency physician, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Several shell casings were found nearby. According to KCAL.
The suspect, whose identity has not been released, fled the scene on foot.
Police believe only one gunman was involved in the deadly shooting, but have not released a suspect description or a motive, the outlet reported.
According to Mirshoje's biography, his patients included “celebrities, movie stars, athletes and many people from all walks of life.”
He graduated from the Pacific College of Osteopathic Medicine, was board certified in addiction medicine and had over 10 years of experience in addiction medicine.
“He's so loving and caring,” former patient Kedar Quintero told KTLA. “He doesn't care that you're just another number in the lobby. He cares just as much about your future.”
“He helped a lot of people with detox,” Quintero added, “You never know what they were going through. He could have changed something in their lives. He could have done something different that they didn't like. Unfortunately, someone wanted him off this earth.”
“He was my doctor for 15 years and he made me well,” Gloria Serra told the outlet. “He's from Iran and I don't know if he was telling the truth, but the last time I was here he said he'd just gotten married.”
Mirshoce's wife, whom he married last year, and their six-month-old daughter were visiting relatives in Turkey at the time of the shooting.
They will return to the United States after learning of Mirshoje's death, KCAL reported.
Mirshoje has three adult children from a previous marriage.
Mirshoce's ex-wife, Ahan Zarin Kerk, remembered him, posting details of the memorial on Facebook.
“Hamid, me and the children are in shock and miss you so much,” she said. “On August 23rd at 5.30pm they took Hamid from us right in front of his training ground.
“My father treated tens of thousands of patients over decades and always helped people. We fought so hard to start a life from nothing in our apartment, and yet the world is so cold,” she said.
“He leaves behind four beautiful children,” Kelk added. “We want to remain strong in the face of evil, to remember Hamid as a father, husband, doctor and friend.”
A few months before Mirshoje's death, three men armed with baseball bats attacked his father, leaving him fearing for his life.
“They came and beat him with a baseball bat,” the employee said. Los Angeles Times. “They were strangers we didn't know.”
Police have not revealed a motive for the assault.
Detectives are aware of the previous assault but have not determined whether it was related to the fatal shooting, the outlet reported.
