SWAT teams surround home of shooting suspect in Houston doctor's death

SWAT officers and deputies in Harris County, Texas, late Thursday surrounded the home of Joseph James Pappas, the suspect in the shooting death of cardiologist Dr. Mark Hausknecht, CBS Houston affiliate KHOU reports. They are unsure if Pappas is home at this time.

Officials say neighbors called for law enforcement presence Thursday evening because they feared Pappas would return to his home when no one was watching.  

Houston police Chief Art Acevedo said at a news conference Wednesday that Pappas, 62, should be considered armed, dangerous and possibly suicidal. Authorities said he may have been seeking revenge for his mother’s death.   

“There was a lot of planning that went into this. There was a lot of planning and, sadly, some skill,” Acevedo said of the attack on Hausknecht, who was gunned down July 20 while riding his bike to work. Authorities say the shooter rode past Hausknecht before turning around and firing.

Acevedo said Pappas is white and very fit and that he likely has his 10-speed bicycle, which he rides “extensively and almost exclusively.”

In 2000, Hausknecht treated Bush for an irregular heartbeat after the ex-president complained about lightheadedness.

A tip on Tuesday led police to suspect Pappas, the chief said, though he didn’t elaborate as to the nature of the tip. Acevedo said police searched his home at 4 a.m. Wednesday and found evidence that ties Pappas to the killing, but he declined to elaborate as to the nature of the evidence.

This is a developing story and will be updated.