Police believe that the killing of Dr. Mark Hausknecht was not random Slain Doctor of George H.W. Bush Was Likely Targeted as Police Release Image of Suspect The cardiologist who treated former President George H. W. Bush may have been targeted when he was fatally shot last week while riding his bicycle to work in broad daylight, Houston’s police chief said Wednesday. Chief Art Acevedo told CNN on Thursday that investigators are still not certain of the motive, but that he’s confident police will make an arrest in the case because there were several witnesses to the shooting. Get push notifications with news, features and more. Dr. Mark Hausknecht was killed by another bicyclist who was going in the opposite direction before 9 a.m. on Friday, according to a press release by the Houston Police Department. The cardiologist, 65, was pronounced dead at Ben Taub General Hospital. Bush, 94, released a statement through spokesman Jim McGrath upon hearing of Hausknecht’s death, saying he was “deeply saddened.” The former president “sends his most sincere condolences to the Hausknecht family, his colleagues at Houston Methodist, and his friends.” sketch Credit: Houston Police Department “Mark was a fantastic cardiologist and a good man,” Bush said in the statement. “I will always be grateful for his exceptional, compassionate care. His family is in our prayers.” Surveillance footage shows Hausknecht and the suspect before the shooting. They were each riding their bicycles on South Main Street, in Houston police said. At one point, the suspect began following the physician as both pedaled north. A surveillance image of the suspect shows him wearing a blue short-sleeve polo shirt, a khaki or white cap and khaki shorts. He was carrying a dark green backpack. “We are actively looking for a suspect,” Executive Assistant Police Chief Troy Finner said during a press conference. “A good thing about the medical center is that there are a lot of cameras. We’re hoping that we can get some footage of this and bring this violent criminal into custody.” “In any big city, crime can happen at any time. The most important thing is we have to watch out for one another. If you see something, say something,” Finner added.<doc-sep>Houston Police Department Chief Art Acevedo announced on Thursday that he believes there is a "high probability" that the murder of Dr. Mark Hausknecht, a cardiologist who treated former President George H.W. Bush, was a targeted attack. Hausknecht, 65, was shot while riding his bike outside the Texas Medical Center in Houston on Friday. The Houston Police Department tweeted Thursday morning that Acevedo believes it wasn't a random killing. "There is a high probability the doctor was targeted," the tweet explained, adding that no other information was available due to the ongoing investigation. On Friday, around 9:00 a.m. Central time, Hausknecht was riding his bike to work when another man also on a bike rode past him, turned around, and fired two shots before fleeing the scene on his bike. The doctor was taken to the hospital, where he died of his injuries. On Sunday, the police department released a sketch of the suspect, who was described as a white male, "thin but fit," about 5 feet 9 inches tall and in his 30s. In the sketch, the man was wearing a hat and glasses, which was confirmed in surveillance footage released on Monday. The Houston Police Department initially believed the suspect to be wearing a gray warm-up jacket, but the surveillance footage clarified that he was wearing a blue, short-sleeve shirt instead. "Suspect is now described as wearing a blue, short-sleeved polo shirt (not a gray warm-up suit), a khaki ball cap and khaki shorts. He has a large, fully-loaded, olive green backpack," police tweeted. Hausknecht's wife, Georgia Hsieh, an emergency medicine doctor, told CNN that her husband enjoyed doing yard work and cooking and was often in bed by 9:00 p.m., Central time. In the wake of her husband's death, Hseih asked residents to use their vote to affect gun control. "So many have asked what can be done to help. While law enforcement has given you their focus on finding the criminal, I am asking you to use your vote and your voice to stem the tide of this growing public health epidemic," she said in a statement to CNN. Hseih added that her husband "loved this city" and to honor his memory people should "work hard, be responsible, patient, tolerant and compassionate." Following the shooting, police asked anyone with information about the shooting to come forward and share what they knew, and officials reiterated that request on Thursday in a tweet. Hausknecht worked at Methodist Hospital and Memorial Hermann Hospital, both located in Houston, as a private doctor.<doc-sep>HOUSTON -- There's a "high probability" a cardiologist who once treated former President George H.W. Bush was targeted when he was fatally shot while riding his bicycle to work, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said Thursday. Acevedo revealed the new development in the shooting of Dr. Mark Hausknecht in a tweet on Thursday but did not offer additional information on the investigation. Hausknecht was shot to death while riding his bicycle to work on the morning of July 20 at the Texas Medical Center. Police have said the shooter rode past Hausknecht, then turned around and opened fire. UPDATE #5: Chief @ArtAcevedo states "There is a high probability the doctor was targeted." No other information is available, as additional details are part of the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact HPD at 713-308-3600 #hounews — Houston Police (@houstonpolice) July 26, 2018 Autopsy results released this week show Hausknecht was shot three times, including in the head and torso. At a news conference on Wednesday, Acevedo said investigators are still trying to determine a motive and they are pursuing various leads and tips. Acevedo called the case "perplexing" and "truly a whodunit." "We're confident and we're hopeful that with the help of the community ... we're going to end up identifying this individual and we'll be able to get justice for the family and most importantly justice for this community," Acevedo said. Friends and family have described Hausknecht as a humble and generous man who was adored by his patients, volunteered in his community and cared about the environment. Hausknecht was also an avid cyclist and rode his bicycle to work each morning, as he lived less than 2 miles from his office at Houston Methodist Hospital. Police have released a composite sketch of the suspected gunman that showed a man wearing glasses and a cap. Investigators say the suspect also wore a fully-loaded olive green backpack at the time of the shooting. They also released surveillance video and photos that appear to show the shooter riding behind Hausknecht, who was dressed in blue medical scrubs, moments before the fatal encounter. UPDATE #4 New surveillance photo of the suspect wanted in the killing of Dr. Hausknecht. Suspect is now described as wearing a blue, short sleeved polo shirt, (not a gray warm-up suit), a khaki ball cap and khaki shorts. He has a large, fully-loaded, olive green backpack. pic.twitter.com/VRk66CFeXb — Houston Police (@houstonpolice) July 23, 2018 The shooting took place in broad daylight at the Texas Medical Center, a 1,345-acre (545-hectare) complex of hospitals and medical institutions that in the morning is busy with traffic, medical professionals heading to work, people going to medical appointments and construction workers. Hausknecht treated Bush in February 2000 for an irregular heartbeat after the ex-president complained about lightheadedness while visiting Florida. After Hausknecht's death, Bush said in a statement he would "always be grateful for his exceptional, compassionate care." CBS affiliate KHOU reports that there will be a memorial service for Hausknecht on Saturday<doc-sep>
(CNN) — There is a “high probability” a cardiologist who treated former President George H.W. Bush was targeted when he was fatally shot last week riding his bicycle to work, Houston’s police chief said Wednesday. Houston Police Department/Houston Police Department A sketch of a suspect in the death of Dr. Mark Hausknecht But Chief Art Acevedo emphasized that investigators are still not certain of the motive. “There is a high probability the doctor was targeted,” the chief said in a tweet from Houston police. UPDATE #5: Chief @ArtAcevedo states "There is a high probability the doctor was targeted." No other information is available, as additional details are part of the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact HPD at 713-308-3600 #hounews — Houston Police (@houstonpolice) July 26, 2018 The suspected gunman remains at large. In a brief interview, Acevedo said he is confident police will be able find the suspect and make an arrest in the death of Dr. Mark Hausknecht because there were several witnesses in the area at the time of Friday’s shooting. Acevedo declined to say why he believed the cardiologist was likely targeted. The FBI’s Houston bureau is helping city police with the investigation. Surveillance images could be key Hausknecht, who worked at Houston Methodist Hospital, and the suspect were seen shortly before the shooting riding bicycles on South Main Street, police said. Surveillance footage shows the suspect following the physician as both pedaled north, police said. Houston Police Department This surveillance image shows a suspect in the shooting of Dr. Mark Hausknecht, police say. Georgia Hsieh, the wife of the renowned cardiologist, said police told her that her husband was riding through a construction area when the gunman rode up in front of him and fired three shots while facing him. Houston Police Department/Houston Police Department Hausknecht, circled in green, was followed by a cyclist, in red, shortly before the shooting, police say. A close-up surveillance image shows the suspect wearing a blue, short-sleeve polo shirt, a khaki or white cap, khaki shorts and an olive-green backpack, police say. Houston Police Department/Houston Police Department The suspect, circled in red, nears Hausknecht on the road. Other surveillance images show the suspect just behind Hausknecht as both head north on Main across West Holcombe Boulevard, police say. In the images posted on Twitter, police highlighted Hausknecht with a green circle and the suspect with a red circle. The shooting happened moments after that crossing, one block away, police say. CNN’s Jamiel Lynch, Darran Simon, Jason Hanna, Eric Levenson and Emanuella Grinberg contributed to this report.