Doctor Hamid Mirshojae was beaten with baseball bats months before he was shot at the Woodland Hills clinic

WOODLAND HILLS, LOS ANGELES (CNS) — The murdered doctor, Dr. Hamid Mirshojae of Woodland Hills, had previously been the victim of an attack that left him in fear for his life, according to a report released Tuesday.

“They came and beat him with baseball bats. … They were strangers we didn't know,” an employee who worked for Mirshojae and wished to remain anonymous out of concern for her safety told the Los Angeles Times.

It was not immediately clear whether the baseball bat attack was related to Mirshojae's fatal shooting on Friday. Los Angeles Police Department Detective Christine Moselle said detectives were aware of the earlier attack, which remains unexplained.

Police did not disclose exactly when the attack took place.

Mirshojae was shot outside the emergency room where he worked. The shooting occurred around 5:30 p.m. Friday at 5995 Topanga Canyon Blvd., south of Oxnard Street. According to the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Division, the doctor was on his way to his vehicle at the time of the shooting.

His body was found near the driver's side of a white SUV in the building's parking lot, ABC7 reported.

According to the employee who viewed surveillance video of the doctor's final moments, Mirshojae probably did not see what happened because he was shot from behind.

Mirshojae's employee, who spoke to the Times, had left the office 15 minutes before the murder. When she returned after 7 p.m., the parking lot was surrounded by police. She told the Times she saw her boss's legs lying on the ground.

The doctor's murder shocked many people in Woodland Hills. Mirshojae was hailed as a caring and well-liked doctor, The Times reported.

Moselle told the Times that the shooter probably did not exchange a word with Mirshojae and that Mirshojae was “shot almost immediately.”

Moselle said the video was not entirely clear, but it appeared the shooter was a man.

Police say they are investigating possible interactions Mirshojae may have had recently, as well as the doctor's medical history. The motive for the shooting remains unknown, Moselle said.

No arrests have been made in connection with the earlier attack and fatal shooting.

Anyone with information about the murder is asked to call the LAPD Topanga station at (818) 756-4800. During after-hours or weekends, calls can be forwarded to (877) 527-3247. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.