A shooting near the Kaufman County Courthouse this morning, January 31, at approximately 8:50 a.m. put the courthouse and several blocks surrounding it under lockdown. The Sheriff’s Office has confirmed an Assistant DA with Kaufman County was fatally shot.
A shooting near the Kaufman County Courthouse this morning, January 31, at approximately 8:50 a.m. put the courthouse and several blocks surrounding it under lockdown. The Sheriff’s Office has confirmed an Assistant DA with Kaufman County was fatally shot.
Authorities are looking for possibly two suspects in a silver or dark brown late model Ford, possibly a Ford Taurus. Witnesses stated they saw two individuals, one in either a dark vest or a “tactical vest”.
RELATED: Kaufman County Assistant DA Hasse knew his life was in danger
An official with the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office has now confirmed the victim as Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse. Hasse was reportedly parked at the Annex building parking lot, just two blocks away from the Kaufman County Courthouse, when he was “ambushed” and shot between 5-9 times. He was transported to an area hospital but reportedly pronounced dead at the scene.
The Kaufman Police Department is heading the investigation with help from the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, and DPS. Texas Rangers and the ATF are also on scene. Police helicopters are in the air around the area aiding ground units in the search for the suspect(s).
Kaufman Police Chief Chris Aulbaugh said, "This is a very alarming incident and it does concern us that this happened in broad day light". Authorities are combing through Hasse's case files for today and also previous files trying to find any possible leads. Authorites said that he only had a handful of misdemeanor cases for this morning's case load.
Kaufman ISD and Scurry ISD are in lockdown as a precaution. Forney ISD is also in a soft-shelter lockdown, no one is allowed in or out of the building and all outdoor recess. Students are still attending class as scheduled.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Kaufman County Crime Stoppers at (877) 847-7522. The Kaufman County Crimestoppers are offering a $33,500 reward for information leading to an arrest in this case.
Updates on this breaking story will be posted here when they become available. inForney.com's Sherri Thornhill is reporting live from the scene of the crime providing the latest news and photos. Update your page for any updates to the article.