A doctor who cared for former President George H. W. Bush was shot to death Friday in a drive-by shooting by an unknown perpetrator on a bicycle, CNN reports.
The incident occurred just before 9 a.m. in Houston near Texas Medical Center, where Dr. Mark Hausknecht, 65, and the shooter were both riding bikes.
Authorities believe Hausknecht, a cardiologist, was bicycling north near Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women when he went past the shooter who was riding in the opposite direction, Executive Assistant Police Chief Troy Finner said during a news conference.
Hausknecht was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Family providing this photo of Dr. Mark Hausknecht. He was shot and killed on his way to work this morning in the Medical Center. Suspect remains on the loose. pic.twitter.com/dkTd08BJdH
— Stephen Morgan Fox 26 (@StephenOnFOX) July 20, 2018
Investigators have said they do not yet know whether Hausknecht was the victim of a random shooting, was the intended target or if the killing was the result of road rage.
Multiple people saw the shooting and there may be video of it, Finner said.
The suspect is described as being a white or Hispanic man around 30 years old. He was wearing khaki shorts, a gray jacket and a tan baseball hat, and was riding a lightly colored mountain bicycle.
Bush praised Hausknecht in a statement.
“Mark was a fantastic cardiologist and a good man,” Bush said. “I will always be grateful for his exceptional, compassionate care. His family is in our prayers.”
People inside the Bioscience Research Collaborative Center, a facility near where the shooting occurred, were urged to shelter in place after the shooting, according to KTRK-TV.
Houston Methodist Hospital issued this statement:
“I’m very sorry to inform you that Dr. Mark Hausknecht, a cardiologist who was an important member of the Houston Methodist staff and the DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, was tragically shot and killed this morning while riding his bicycle to work. Mark was a leader in the Houston Cardiovascular Associates and specialized in cardiovascular disease. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and completed his residency and fellowship at The John Hopkins Hospital. He is a longtime Houston Methodist-affiliated physician and has been in practice for almost four decades.”
