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HOUSTON – A cardiologist who previously treated former President George HW Bush was fatally injured by another cyclist on Friday while he was circulating in a Houston medical complex, and police were trying to determine if the shot was random or a targeted act. The shootout occurred around 9 am as Dr. Mark Hausknecht was heading north through the Texas Medical Center, said Houston Deputy Police Chief Troy Finner.
"The suspect was on a bicycle, he went past the doctor, went back and fired two shots, the doctor immediately went down," Finner said.
KHOU, a CBS affiliate in Houston, reports that Hausknecht, 65, asked for help from a passing ambulance while the suspect was running away. Hausknecht was taken to a local hospital, where he died later.
Hausknecht was going to work at the Houston Methodist Hospital when he was shot, said the hospital's CEO in an email to staff.
The area where the shooting took place is part of a complex of 1,345 acres of hospitals and medical facilities, including the MD Anderson Cancer Center of the University of Texas, and is busy with traffic and pedestrians during the day.
Authorities on Friday investigated the suspect, who wore a gray warming jacket, khaki shorts and a baseball cap.
Hausknecht treated Mr. Bush in February 2000 for an irregular heartbeat after the former president complained of the light-headed sensation during a Florida visit.
The cardiologist appeared with Mr. Bush at a press conference after his treatment.
million. Bush offered Friday his condolences to the Hausknecht family.
"Mark was a fantastic cardiologist and a good man," Bush said in a statement. "I will always be grateful for his exceptional and compassionate care."
Hausknecht had been in medical practice for almost 40 years specializing in cardiovascular disease, said Marc Boom, president and CEO of the Houston Methodist Hospital.
Hausknecht was part of the hospital's medical staff as well as his heart and vascular DeBakey center.
"His patients appreciated his kind attitude at the bedside and the extra time that he took to answer their questions and fully explain their condition and their treatment," Boom said in an e-mail sent to employees Friday. "Our employees who worked with him said that patients were so proud to call their doctor."
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