George H.W. Bush's Private Doctor Shot Dead in Drive-By Shooting

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Former President George H.W. Bush's private heart doctor has been gunned down in the street during a shocking drive-by shooting attack.

Cardiologist Dr. Mark Hausknecht was killed Friday morning in a bicycle-to-bicycle drive-by shooting near Texas Medical Center in Houston, according to authorities.

Dr. Hausknecht was shot by a bike-riding gunman while riding through a Houston medical complex.

Police are trying to determine the motive of the shooting, but believe it may have been a targeted act.

The shooting occurred around 9 am Friday as Hausknecht was traveling northbound through the Texas Medical Center, according to Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Troy Finner, who said in a statement:

"The suspect was on a bicycle as well.

"Rode past the doctor, turned and fired two shots.

"The doctor immediately went down."

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The DM reports: Hausknecht, 65, was hit at least once and taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.

Hausknecht was going in to work at Houston Methodist Hospital when he was shot, the hospital's CEO said in an email to staff.

The area where the shooting took place is part of a 1,345-acre complex of hospitals and medical institutions, including the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and is busy with traffic and pedestrians during the day.

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Authorities late Friday continued searching for the suspect, who was wearing a gray warmup jacket, khaki shorts, and a tan baseball cap.

Hausknecht treated Bush in February 2000 for an irregular heartbeat after the ex-president complained about lightheadedness while visiting Florida.

The cardiologist appeared with Bush at a news conference after his treatment.

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Bush on Friday offered his condolences to Hausknecht's family.

"Mark was a fantastic cardiologist and a good man," Bush said in a statement.

"I will always be grateful for his exceptional, compassionate care."

Hausknecht had been in medical practice for almost 40 years and specialized in cardiovascular disease, said Marc Boom, president, and CEO of Houston Methodist Hospital.

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Hausknecht was part of the hospital's medical staff as well as its DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center.

"His patients appreciated his kind bedside manner and the extra time he took to answer their questions and fully explain their condition and treatment," Boom said in an email to employees on Friday.

"Our employees who worked with him said patients were so proud to call him their doctor."