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Patients Share Reactions After Shooting Death of Dr. Suresh Gadasalli

A day after Dr. Suresh Gadasalli was shot to death at the Healthy Heart Clinic, his patients are remembering their caretaker and friend.

ODESSA, TX (KWES) - A day after Dr. Suresh Gadasalli was shot to death at the Healthy Heart Clinic, his patients are remembering their caretaker and friend.

"I was shocked," said Cathy Connally. "I couldn't believe it. I said, 'No, that can't be true. He was so nice.' I thought, 'who would hurt him?'"

The news of Dr. Suresh Gadasalli's death hit Connelly hard. She had been a patient with Dr. Gadasalli for two years and she says she had always considered him more than just her heart doctor.

"He was just like one of the family, you couldn't ask for anybody nicer," she said.

It was just Monday that Connally visited Dr. Gadasalli, unaware that this would be the last time.

"You know, he was okay Monday. He was joking and laughing and now we don't have him and it's terrible," she said.

Thursday afternoon, tragedy struck when one of Dr. Gadasalli's patients and business partners, Ayyasamy Thangam, shot Gadasalli multiple times before ending his own life.

"It said Doctor Shot at Healthy Heart Center and I thought, 'wait.' I looked at my friend and I said it's the Healthy Heart Center. I said it's Dr. Gadasalli,"

Marie Henderson has been Dr. Gadasalli's patient for 11 1/2 years. She and her friend, Carol Smith, were together when they heard of the shooting.

"We stopped what we were doing immediately and started to pray for Dr. Gadasalli and for all the staff, and for the SWAT, EMT's, and the police that were around trying to quell the situation," said Henderson.

Smith's husband was a patient of the Healthy Heart Center. She told us nine years ago, her husband was in dire need of a heart doctor they turned to Dr. Gadasalli.

"He flew back from India on his Christmas vacation with his family three days early to do surgery for my husband," Smith said.

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