On August 23, 2024, Dr. Hamid Mirshojae, a respected 61-year-old drug and alcohol addiction expert, was reportedly shot dead in what law enforcement authorities are calling a premeditated assault. The fatal incident took place outside his clinic in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles, California, at around 5:30 p.m., roughly an hour post the clinic’s closing time.

The Los Angeles Police Department reports indicate that the assailant had been loitering in the parking lot of the Warner Plaza Urgent Center on Topanga Canyon Blvd for about an hour before Dr. Mirshojae left the building and headed towards his Lexus. The shooter, who fired at close range, immediately fled the scene on foot. While bullet casings were found at the location, the police are yet to identify the killer or reveal a possible motive for the attack.

Dr. Mirshojae had more than 20 years of experience in primary and emergency medical care and was known for his compassionate approach to his profession. His clientele included celebrities, athletes, and people from diverse backgrounds. Apart from his primary care responsibilities, Dr. Mirshojae was also eligible to practice addiction medicine and had over ten years of experience in helping people overcome addiction.

This is not the first violent incident involving Dr. Mirshojae. A few months prior to the shooting, he was assaulted and severely beaten by three unidentified individuals wielding baseball bats outside the same clinic, which had made him fear for his safety. However, the police have not verified if the two incidents are linked.

Former patient Khedhar Quintero stated that Dr. Mirshojae consistently demonstrated a deep concern for his patients, and genuinely cared about their futures beyond their status as patients in his clinic. Quintero highlighted that Dr. Mirshojae had aided numerous people in their detox journey, hinting that his work may have negatively impacted someone, leading to his untimely demise.

Gloria Sera, another long-time patient, revealed that Dr. Mirshojae had been her physician for 15 years and always made her feel comforted. She added that Dr. Mirshojae, who was from Iran, had recently informed her of his marriage.

At the time of the fatal incident, Dr. Mirshojae’s wife and their six-month-old daughter were in Turkey, visiting family. He is survived by his wife, their infant daughter, and three adult children from a previous marriage. Following the assault, the clinic has enhanced its security measures, including employing a security guard for the property.

According to The Daily Mail, the Los Angeles doctor had been embroiled in a lengthy legal struggle with his ex-wife, Ahang Kelk, 54, which lasted close to two decades and involved his claims that she had threatened his life.

The legal conflicts began in 2009 following their divorce and expanded to include two fraud allegations, a civil harassment case, four restraining order requests, and numerous reopenings of their divorce case, with the most recent happening in January.

Both Kelk and Mirshojae, whose online profile boasts treating celebrity patients, movie stars, athletes, and people from diverse backgrounds, have at times obtained restraining orders against each other.

In a request from 2017, the doctor noted that a restraining order granted to his ex-wife forced him to leave their $6 million six-bedroom residence in Calabasas, where she continues to live. In May, Mirshojae initiated a lawsuit against Kelk for fraud, accusing her of transferring her assets to her mother and other relatives to hide them from him, thereby obstructing his access to settlement funds awarded to him in previous cases.

The couple was set to return to court on August 23 for a hearing related to the fraud allegations, which centered on her alleged failure to pay the $270,000 settlement he received from a 2021 case in which he again accused her of fraud and of running an illegal marijuana dispensary at a property in which they both had an interest. He also filed a request for an additional $600,000 in attorney fees, which is still pending, and alleged that she violated a settlement agreement they reached in 2017.

The 2021 case outlines the significant decline in the former couple’s relationship after Mirshojae terminated Kelk from her role in his medical practice in 2016. The complaint alleges that Kelk vowed to damage his business following her dismissal as office manager due to accusations of misappropriating over $600,000 from the surgical practice. Although a judge ruled in favor of Mirshojae, the current case concerns Kelk’s alleged failure to fulfill her financial obligations.

Kelk has also frequently revived their divorce proceedings, with the contentious nature of their legal battle leading Judge Steve Cochran to express his frustration by stating that ‘the cost of this litigation became unreasonable long ago’ in February. During that session, Kelk sought financial support for their youngest son Jason, who is 21 and legally an adult, arguing that he is unable to find work.

Despite their tumultuous history, Kelk seemed heartbroken upon hearing about Mirshojae’s death.

The Los Angeles Police Department is actively pursuing the investigation into Dr. Mirshojae’s death and is urging anyone with relevant information to contact either the LAPD’s Topanga station or Crime Stoppers.