Doctor Killed in Office: California Doctor Shot by Patient

A man is being held on suspician for allegedly shooting his doctor in an exam room. The Associated Press reported that a 75-year-old man, Stanwood Fred Elkus of Lake Elsinoire is on $1 million bale for the killing.

Police in Newport Beach said that Elkus shot and killed Dr. Ronald Franklin Gilbert, 52, at his office. Gilbert is a urologist and Huntington Beach resident and was shot dead Monday afternoon at his medical office near Hoag Hospital, reported The AP.

There has been no motive identified but police said to the AP that there were multiple shots fired, as many as seven.

"Several 911 calls reported six or seven shots fired Monday afternoon at the medical office near Hoag Hospital in Orange County, Newport Beach police spokeswoman Kathy Lowe told The Associated Press. Officers found a man dead from gunshot wounds in a patient examination room, Lowe said," reported the AP.

Becky Calderwood who works two doors down from his office said the shooter was a patient of the doctor.

"I sit right at the front desk, I would have caught the first bullet," Calderwood said to The Los Angeles Times."This is nuts; people are just shooting everyone all the time."

Shortly after the shooting occurred police took the handcuffed man who was wearing a baseball cap out of the building. Police got calls around 2:45 p.m. that there had been shots fired. Spokeswoman Kathy Lowe for the police department said to The LA Times "We won't know a motive until our detectives have a chance to interview the suspect later tonight.

Another woman who works in the building, Kristin Crotty, said she heard gun shots but thought it was construction.

"I am terrified," Crotty said to The LA Times. "I just want to get home to my family right now."

"A 1987 graduate from the UCI College of Medicine, Gilbert was a practicing physician and surgeon since 1989, reports The Register. There are no disciplinary actions, malpractice judgments or settlements on his medical board records. His office specializes in treatment of disorders of the urinary tract and genital conditions," reports LAist.com