A Minnesota man who police say fatally shot and killed a doctor was upset over the medical care his mother received.
Dr. Stephen Larson, 74, was found dead in his home Friday night with multiple gunshot wounds in what the Hennepin County Medical Examiner has ruled as a homicide, according to ABC News.
Sources told KSTP that Ted Hoffstrom, 30, arrived at Larson's home while he was on the phone. The person speaking to Larson on the other end of the line heard gunshots and called police.
The Star Tribune reports that when officers arrived, they found Hoffstrom outside the home with a semiautomatic handgun that had been used to shoot Larson multiple times, authorities said Monday.
“Diligent attempts to negotiate” with Hoffstrom, who was a law-school graduate, failed and he was shot and killed.
Sheriff Richard Stanek held a press conference Monday and told reporters that Hoffstrom's motive is still unclear. However, Hoffstrom had allegedly expressed hostility toward Larson’s family because of how the doctor had treated Hoffstrom’s mother in an undisclosed medical situation.
An anonymous source that KSTP said had information from the case told the station that Larson assisted with Hoffstrom's delivery when he was born 30 years ago.
“We know who committed this murder, yet many unanswered questions remain,” Stanek said. “Unfortunately, these two are tied together fairly closely.”
On Sunday, Hoffstrom's family members posted a note on their door regarding the death:
"It is with great sadness that we extend our heartfelt prayers and sympathy to the family of Dr. Stephen Larson. Our hearts are broken for all of those affected by this tragic event. We are shocked and saddened by this news, and many questions remain unanswered. We hope that the public will understand this is a very difficult time for our family. We are grieving the loss of our son, and ask that you please respect our privacy at this time."
Friend and colleague, Dr. Suzin Cho, told KSTP that Larson delivered thousands of babies for probably four generations. He earned worldwide acclaim and awards as a highly regarded surgeon.
"[Larson is] a father figure, he's a mentor, he's an educator," Cho said. "He is the utmost careful, compassionate caregiver. There's just no reason why anybody would have wanted to hurt him."
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