Dr. Hamid Mirshojae, a 61-year-old drug and alcohol addiction specialist, was shot and killed in what authorities believe was a targeted ambush outside his clinic in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The incident occurred on August 23, 2024, at around 5:30 p.m., approximately an hour after his clinic had closed.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the suspect had been waiting in the Warner Plaza Urgent Center parking lot on Topanga Canyon Blvd. for nearly an hour before Dr. Mirshojae exited the building and walked toward his Lexus. The gunman, who struck at point-blank range, fled the scene on foot. Bullet casings were discovered at the scene, but police have not identified the killer or released a motive for the attack.
Dr. Mirshojae, who had over two decades of experience in primary and emergency care, was known for his compassionate approach to medicine. His patients included celebrities, athletes, and individuals from various walks of life. In addition to his work in primary care, Dr. Mirshojae was board-eligible in addiction medicine and had over a decade of experience in treating addiction.
This is not the first time Dr. Mirshojae has faced violence. Several months before the shooting, he was attacked and severely beaten outside the same clinic by three unknown assailants wielding baseball bats. The assault left him fearful for his life, though police have not confirmed whether the two incidents are connected.
Former patient Khedhar Quintero expressed that Dr. Mirshojae consistently showed deep care and concern for his patients, emphasizing that he genuinely cared about their futures rather than just seeing them as numbers in his clinic. Quintero noted that Dr. Mirshojae had helped many people through detox, suggesting that his work might have affected someone’s life in a way they didn’t like, potentially leading to his death.
Gloria Sera, another long-term patient, shared that Dr. Mirshojae had been her doctor for 15 years and always made her feel better. She mentioned that Dr. Mirshojae, originally from Iran, had recently told her he had just gotten married.
At the time of the shooting, Dr. Mirshojae’s wife and their six-month-old daughter were visiting family in Turkey. He also leaves behind three adult children from a previous marriage. In response to the attack, the clinic has since heightened security measures, including hiring a security guard to patrol the property.
According to The Daily Mail, Dr. Mirshojae had been engaged in a protracted legal dispute with his ex-wife, Ahang Kelk, 54, spanning nearly 20 years and featuring his allegations that she had made threats against his life.
Their legal troubles started in 2009 after their divorce and grew to encompass two fraud accusations, a civil harassment suit, four requests for restraining orders, and multiple reopenings of their divorce proceedings, with the latest occurring in January.
At various points, both Kelk and Mirshojae, who claimed on his online profile to have treated famous clients, including celebrities, athletes, and individuals from various walks of life, have secured restraining orders against one another.
In a request made in 2017, the physician stated that a restraining order issued in favor of his ex-wife compelled him to vacate their $6 million six-bedroom home in Calabasas, where she continues to reside. In May, Mirshojae filed a suit against Kelk for fraud, accusing her of shifting her assets to her mother and other family members to conceal them from him, which obstructed his access to settlement funds awarded in earlier cases.
The couple was scheduled to appear in court on August 23 for a hearing concerning the fraud claims, which focused on her alleged failure to pay the $270,000 settlement he received from a 2021 lawsuit in which he again accused her of fraud and running an illegal marijuana dispensary in a property they jointly owned. He had also made a request for an additional $600,000 in attorney fees, which is still pending, and claimed that she breached a settlement agreement they reached in 2017.
The 2021 lawsuit highlights the steep decline in their relationship after Mirshojae dismissed Kelk from his medical practice in 2016. The complaint states that Kelk threatened to harm his business following her termination as office manager due to allegations of misappropriating over $600,000 from the practice. Although a judge ruled in favor of Mirshojae, the current suit revolves around Kelk’s purported failure to meet her financial responsibilities.
Kelk has also often reinstated their divorce proceedings, with the contentious nature of their legal battle prompting Judge Steve Cochran to express his frustration by saying that the costs of the litigation had become unreasonable long ago in February. During that session, Kelk requested financial assistance for their youngest son Jason, who is 21 and legally an adult, contending that he is struggling to find employment.
Despite their turbulent history, Kelk appeared to be devastated upon learning of Mirshojae’s death.
The Los Angeles Police Department continues to investigate the fatal shooting and urges anyone with information to contact the LAPD’s Topanga station or Crime Stoppers.