A TOP doctor was shot and killed in broad daylight outside of his clinic just months after he was attacked by a group of men.
Doctor Hamid Mirshojae who treated celebrities from his Los Angeles clinic was assassinated in the car park of the Warner Plaza Urgent Center around 5:30 pm on Friday.
The 61-year-old was walking to his car when a man followed him and shot him in the back from point-blank range.
Poor quality surveillance footage of the attack, seen by The Daily Mail, showed Mirshojae approaching his Lexus when the shooter ran from the entrance of the parking lot and shot him.
Cops have appealed to the public for help identifying the doctor’s killer and a possible motive.
BASEBALL BAT AMBUSH
Just a few months before his death, Mirshojae was attacked by a group of men armed with baseball bats, staff from the clinic told the cops and the LA Times.
The doctor was reportedly scared for his life after the ambush, an employee said.
“They came and they beat him with baseball bats…They were some strangers that we didn’t know,” the anonymous clinic worker said.
No one was arrested in the baseball bat attack which is still being investigated, cops told the news outlet.
While it is unclear if the two incidents are related, LA police detective Christine Moselle said that investigators are looking into both cases.
An employee who saw the footage of Mirshojae’s last moments said that the doctor was likely not aware of what was going on due to the approach of the gunman from behind.
The staff member told the Times how she had left just 15 minutes before the killing and had returned to find cops in the parking lot with the legs of her boss sticking out on the ground.
Police arrived at the scene at 6:12 pm and found Mirschojae with a gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, cops confirmed.
Detective Moselle says that investigators are looking for a male suspect per the surveillance footage and that no words were exchanged before the murder.
No motive has yet been identified, she confirmed, noting that cops are searching Mirschojae’s belongings and history for any indication of what it could be.
The doctor’s wife and six-month-old baby were in Turkey when he was killed and have since returned to the US.
Who is Doctor Hamid Mirshojae?
The doctor from LA was killed outside his clinic on August 23 by a gunman who shot him in the back at point blank range.
Hamid Mirschojae graduated from the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific.
He specialized in emergency medicine at the Warner Plaza Urgent Care Center in Woodlands, California.
Mirschojae also treated drug and alcohol addiction.
The Warner Plaza Urgent Care Center describes the late doctor as a “leader in his field, focusing on compassion and wisdom when treating his patients.”
“His patients include celebrities, movie stars, athletes, and many people from different walks of life,” the description adds.
He has four children, one with his current wife and three adult children with his ex-wife Ahang Zarin Kelk who he divorced in 2010.
HEARTFELT TRIBUTES
Meanwhile, Mirschojae’s ex-wife with whom he shares three adult children took to social media to pay tribute to the doctor.
“Hamid, the kids, and I are in so much shock we miss you so bad,” she wrote on Facebook.
“They took Hamid away from us right in front of his practice.”
Ahang Zarin Kelk also shared details of a public memorial service that was held for the doctor on Sunday.
An area outside of the clinic has been turned into a memorial with candles, flowers, and a picture of the beloved doctor.
Shocked members of the Woodland Hills community left signs that read, “We miss you doc” and “Doc RIP.”
“They came and they beat him with baseball bats…They were some strangers that we didn’t know.
Anonymous clinic staff member
As well as urgent and emergency care, Mirschojae also treated drug and alcohol addiction.
“His patients include celebrities, movie stars, athletes, and many people of different walks of life,” the doctor’s bio on the Detox Woodland Hills website states.
“He was always helping people seeing tens and thousands of patients for decades we fought HARD to make life happen starting from nothing in the apartment and still the world is so cold,” his ex-wife said.
“He left the world with four beautiful children. We want to be strong in the face of evil to remember Hamid – father, husband, doctor, and friend.”
“I just saw him two days ago,” shocked Woodland Hills dentist Dr Azin Kolahi told ABC News affiliate KABC-TV.
“He always had laughter on his face. Very kind, very sweet.”
Anyone with any information about the homicide or the baseball bat attack months earlier is urged to contact the LAPD.
The U.S. Sun has contacted the police department for an update.