Assistant DA Mark Hasse was shot and killed Thursday morning near his work, the Kaufman County Courthouse. Authorities are continuing to search for the two assailants who perpetrated the crime, CBSnews.com reports.
The shooting occurred just before 9 a.m. outside the courthousee, about 33 miles southeast of Dallas. The courthouse remains on lockdown.
As reported to the local TV affiliate KLTV, law enforcement officials labeled the murder as an attack on the criminal justice system saying, "we understand that we may come into contact with violent people but this is the next level," Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrnes said at a news conference on Thursday.
"Any loss of life, especially someone out there protecting the community, would have that effect," Kaufman Police Chief Chris Aulbaugh said.
The suspects reportedly were dressed in all black and one was wearing a tactical vest, according to AP reports. Kaufman Co. Crimestoppers is offering a $10,000 reward in this case.
According to CBSnews.com, and culled from CBS DFW reports, the 57-year-old Hasse graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1981 and had been licensed to practice law since 1982. He had been a Kaufman County District Attorney since July of 2010.
The Daily Morning News reported that "authorities with knowledge of the assistant DA's caseload say he had been heavily involved in the investigation of members of the Aryan Brotherhood."
"he was revered and he did an outstanding job. We see each other every day... it's a very small courthouse," Kauffman County Judge Bruce Wood told the Morning News. "It's a horrible situation. None of us would have ever expected anything like to ever happen our courthouse."
