NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

Mystery surrounds death of doctor Dr Mark Hausknecht slain by cycling assassin

By Marnie O’Neill
news.com.au·
29 Jul, 2018 04:20 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The doctor on his bike before being killed.

The doctor on his bike before being killed.

A top cardiologist gunned down by a cyclist while riding his bike to work in surgical scrubs was deliberately targeted, police say. But why?

Police believe a top cardiologist gunned down at a busy intersection while cycling to work in his medical scrubs was deliberately targeted.

But they still have no idea who killed Dr Mark Hausknecht, who famously treated former United States president George H.W. Bush for an irregular heartbeat, or why.

CCTV footage captured the killer (circled in red) stalking his victim before opening fire. Photo / Houston Police Department
CCTV footage captured the killer (circled in red) stalking his victim before opening fire. Photo / Houston Police Department

Dr Hausknecht was shot three times in the head and torso as he cycled to work at the Texas Medical Center on the morning of July 20.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Police have said the shooter, who was also on a bicycle, rode past the cardiologist then turned around and opened fire.

Chilling footage showing a man tailing Dr Hausknecht at a crossing seconds before the murder has been made public in the hope somebody will recognise him.

Police have also released a composite sketch of the suspect in glasses and a cap, describing him as a thin, fit, white or Hispanic man between 175cm and 178cm tall and aged in his 30s.

Grainy images show him wearing a blue short-sleeve polo shirt, khaki shorts, a white or khaki cap and a distinctive bulky olive green backpack.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo called the case "perplexing" and "truly a whodunit" but said investigators were following up a number of leads.

"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," he told a news conference yesterday.

Friends and family have described Dr Hausknecht as a humble and generous man who was passionate about the environment, volunteered in his community, and was adored by his patients.

Dr Neal Kleiman, who knew Dr Hausknecht for more than 30 years, told CBS News he was still struggling to absorb the news of his death.

Discover more

Travel

This Croatian island will make your heart sing

01 Jul 11:00 PM
Travel

Home slice: World's best pizza cities no longer Italian

02 Jul 01:00 AM
Travel

Turbulent times: Our scariest flying stories

02 Jul 03:00 AM
Travel

Borneo: Natural treasures

03 Jul 03:00 AM

"It's like getting kicked in the gut because it's a friend," he said.

Dr Kleiman is medical director of the cardiac catheterisation lab at Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center.

Police have released CCTB footage of the suspect as well as a composite sketch. Photo / Houston Police Department
Police have released CCTB footage of the suspect as well as a composite sketch. Photo / Houston Police Department

The murder, which took place in full view of motorists and pedestrians, has renewed calls for stricter gun control legislation.

Earlier this week the victim's wife, Dr Georgia Hsieh, released an emotional statement asking people to write, email or tweet their congressional representatives "urging sensible gun laws".

She said those who wanted to honour her husband's memory should "work hard, be responsible, patient, tolerant and compassionate".

Flowers, anti-gun posters and a copy of the Bible were placed at a makeshift memorial near where Dr Hausknecht was gunned down.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Dr Kleiman said the environmentally-conscious cardiologist loved to grow vegetables in his garden and recycled everything.

"He had genuine concern for things around him, including the environment," he told CBS.

Homeless man James Pierce, 43, said he sometimes collected cans for Dr Hausknecht for recycling.

Mr Pierce had no idea he was a doctor but would exchange pleasantries with him as he rode past him most mornings.

"We need to find this guy," he said of the shooter.

Dr Hausknecht's one-time patient, former president George H.W. Bush, paid tribute to him.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I will always be grateful for his exceptional, compassionate care," he said in a statement.

In February 2000, Dr Hausknecht treated Mr Bush for an irregular heartbeat after the complained of light-headedness during a trip to Florida.

Mr Pierce stood at an intersection near the shooting Monday, holding up a flyer with the shooting suspect sketch printed on it and showing it to passing cars.

"We need to find this guy," he said, hoping someone would recognise the man in the sketch.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

World

Netanyahu expresses regret after three killed at Catholic church in Gaza

World

British spies and special forces exposed in Afghan data leak

World

Legendary wingsuit daredevil dead after paraglider crash


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

Netanyahu expresses regret after three killed at Catholic church in Gaza
World

Netanyahu expresses regret after three killed at Catholic church in Gaza

Ten other people were wounded in Israeli tank fire including the parish priest.

17 Jul 09:33 PM
British spies and special forces exposed in Afghan data leak
World

British spies and special forces exposed in Afghan data leak

17 Jul 09:01 PM
Legendary wingsuit daredevil dead after paraglider crash
World

Legendary wingsuit daredevil dead after paraglider crash

17 Jul 08:26 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP